The Silver Mask
by WherearemyDrag0ns
Summary: Eve's introduction to the wizarding world came a year before her Hogwarts letter arrived – the night masked men broke into her house and murdered her adoptive parents in a flash of green light. Her sole clue is the odd name on her birth certificate – that for some reason her new teachers insist she keeps a secret – 'Lestrange'.
1. Chapter 1: Running at a Brick Wall

_**1992**_

_The choice he made had been a dangerous one,_

_One that had cost him severely._

_He wondered many times if it had been the right choice._

_Here she was now on the platform, ten years later._

_He watched her sadly, forbidden to approach._

_He never meant for her to end up alone,_

_Just away from them._

* * *

Eve stood facing the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, her fingers tightly gripping the trolley. All around her people swarmed on and off trains, dragging suitcases and elbowing past. Worried, she glanced around for Charity. There was no sign of her anywhere.

She was early. She still had plenty of time to get onto platform 9 and ¾. But she couldn't help feeling a strange gnawing in her chest as she scanned the crowd. Charity Burbage had promised that she would be there with a register to make sure all the muggleborn first years got through – "we got a complaint last year you see, from one of the parents" – and although the Muggle Studies professor had explained to Eve very clearly how to get through to the platform she still wasn't very comfortable with the idea of running at a brick wall.

"Not lost are you, sweetheart?" Eve jumped at the concerned ticket officer behind her. "Er", she stammered for a moment and tried to think of a lie. "I- No I'm just… just waiting for my Mum. She'll be back with her coffee any minute". She forced a polite grin till he went away, and turned back to the barrier. It looked mercilessly solid.

She figured she might as well give it a go. Eve took a tentative step forward. Remembering how Charity had advised to do it at a run she walked hurriedly over, only to slow down at the last second and just give the trolley a slight nudge against the wall. It didn't budge. Eve swore quietly under her breath. She tried ramming the trolley against the wall, but it merely clanged loudly, earning her a few odd looks from passers-by.

"Eve!" She whipped around. To her relief the slightly-out-of-breath Muggle Studies professor was weaving her way through the crowd, the many mismatched bracelets on her arm jangling loudly as she hurried over. "Sorry I'm late!" Charity Burbage gasped with one of her large apologetic smiles. "Muggle trains can be a bit fiddly – having trouble?"

"A bit" Eve admitted, trying to hide how pleased she was to see her and patting her hand awkwardly against the barrier. "It's not letting me through".

"Let me see". Charity handed Eve the clipboard she was holding and reached out to press her hands against the wall. Eve glanced briefly at the short list, scanning it to see her name 'Evelyn Hughes' inked delicately on the parchment. At first Eve had been eager to have a go at writing with the ink pot and large feather quill she'd bought with Charity in Diagon Alley, but when she tried the ink had just blotted and spilled everywhere on the page. Despite Charity's patient assertion that she'd get the hang of it with practice, Eve had very quickly gotten fed up and decided to pack a few normal pens in her trunk instead.

"Hm" Charity was frowning slightly, inspecting the barrier and pressing firmly with her fingertips. "That's odd, for some reason – ah, there we go!"

To Eve's shock her new teacher's hands passed through the wall as though she were a ghost. Charity pulled her hand out again and laughed at Eve's mouth hanging open in amazement.

"There we go" she said again brightly, holding out her hand for the clipboard. "Whatever that was, it seems to be fixed. Now-" she placed a hand on Eve's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "How are you feeling?"

Eve squirmed slightly and shrugged, not really knowing how to answer. Charity smiled. "It's ok to be nervous."

"I'm not nervous" she protested, and upon seeing Charity's raised eyebrows she scowled. "I'm not!"

"Are you sure?" Charity looked amused. "You're a bit quiet".

"Well, I'm tired. And starving. Couldn't buy a mars bar with wizard money".

Charity laughed. "Don't worry, there'll be sweets on sale on the train" she reassured her. "You know", she added slowly, "plenty of other children will be from muggle backgrounds, and they all adjust eventually. You won't be alone".

Eve weakly returned her smile, but fell silent again. The gnawing in her chest was back. A hesitant question burgeoned inside her, but before she could bring herself to ask it the silence was interrupted by the arrival of a tiny boy with mousy brown hair, his beaming father pushing the trolley while a giddy and even tinier brother hopped around excitedly.

"Lovely to see you again, Mr Creevey" gushed Charity, shaking the father's hand enthusiastically. "And you too, Colin-". Eve turned away and glanced back at the barrier. While Charity was busy ticking Colin Creevey off the register she took hold of the trolley again and slowly steered it to face the wall.

"Eve." She turned to see Charity looking at her again. Behind her Mr Creevey was embracing his son. "I'll see you at school" Charity called after her, as another family arrived. "Have fun on the train and don't worry, you'll have a great time at school, I promise".

Eve nodded, and despite herself she felt a little bubble of excitement. Holding her breath, she ran at the wall.

* * *

_"What do you mean, run at a brick wall?"_

_The two of them sat across from each other in the dark, lights out in case Ms Winter came to check if they were asleep. The old house creaked quietly, but there didn't seem to be anyone else up. Lying open on the floor next to the bed was her trunk, which she still hadn't managed to close as it was brimming with a dozen spell books, black wizard robes, and vials of frog spawn and snake eyes and other mysterious ingredients she couldn't name._

_Between her and Daniel lay her ticket for 'The Hogwarts Express, Platform 9 and ¾', written in the same green ink as her Hogwarts letter. Next to it was Eve's new wand, which she'd spent the past hour picking up and turning over in her fingers before putting it down again hastily. _

_Eve shrugged in response. "I dunno, that's just how she said I'd get onto the platform"._

_Even in the dark she could see Daniel's eyes widen in excitement. "So, it's a secret passage? There's a hidden train station at Kings Cross just for wizards?" He shifted eagerly. "Wish I could come see you off"._

_"Wish you could too"._

_In the silence she picked up her wand again. It was smooth and polished, with decorative runes carved into the handle, yet she was struck by how small and simple it was, knowing what it was capable of. She could have easily snapped it in two. Daniel was eyeing it as though it might explode._

_"I don't know how my Mum and Dad would have reacted to all this" Eve said suddenly. "To hidden train stations and Hogwarts and… everything"._

_"Me too" whispered Daniel sadly. "I wish my Dad could have known, about me being a wizard. He'd be really excited". _

_There was a sudden loud creak from the stairs. For a second Eve thought Ms Winter was coming up to check on them. The two of them waited, listening, but no one came. It was probably just one of the other kids going to the toilet. Eve glanced at the clock. 12:36. In less than 11 hours she'd be on the train to Hogwarts, and Daniel would be on his own. He wouldn't be joining her at Hogwarts for another year yet._

_"Promise me you'll write?" Daniel pleaded urgently. "As soon as you get there?"_

_Eve held out her little finger. "Pinky promise?"_

_Daniel grinned and hooked fingers with her. "Deal"._

* * *

"Excuse me, do you mind? Everywhere else is full."

Eve looked up from the window. A tiny red-headed girl hovered nervously by the compartment door.

"Yes. I mean, no, not at all" she gestured to the seat across from her and the girl shyly sat down, a small black diary tucked under her arm. "Um, I'm Eve. What's your name?"

"Ginny"

Eve had seen her earlier on the platform. Once she'd accustomed herself to the dizzying chaos of the hidden station, she'd heaved her trunk onto the train and into a compartment, before sitting down to watch it all from the window.

The platform was crammed with hundreds of wizards, many of whom were oddly dressed in a very confused assortment of muggle clothing. Charity had explained that this was a problem with most adult wizards struggling to blend in – there certainly appeared to be an unusual number of kilts around. Ginny's family had stood out in the crowd, a large family all with the same shock of fiery red hair that rushed late onto the platform. A plump and tearful woman with a colourful knitted cardigan had hugged Ginny tightly while her brothers beckoned them to hurry up.

Across from her Ginny gingerly took off her coat, revealing a woolly jumper with the letter G emblazoned on it in bright yellow. "G for Ginny?" Eve asked.

Ginny blushed as scarlet as her hair. "My mum knitted it" she mumbled, casting her eyes downwards. "It's nice!" Eve said, perhaps a little too quickly. She hadn't meant to embarrass her. "My mum tried to knit me something once but it didn't turn out too good. The arms were all wrong and stuff…" Her voice trailed off. She tried to think of something else to say, but was spared by the arrival of two more red heads.

"All settled in Ginny?" the two boys popped their heads around the door of the compartment, their identical faces bearing identical grins. Ginny nodded her head quickly.

One of the twins tilted his head towards Eve. "Making friends?" he asked. "Hello!" The two of them suddenly turned to Eve and spoke in unison. "We're Fred and George, Ginny's brothers".

Ginny went, if possible, even redder, but Eve's mouth fell open. "I'm Eve" she said, impressed. "How did you do that? Did you practice or-"

"Practice?!" One of the twins put his hand over his heart in mock outrage. "I am affronted you would even suggest it was anything other than natural, raw talent-"

"_George_" Ginny pleaded through gritted teeth. The nearest twin jerked a finger towards Ginny. "She's not usually this shy. Can't get her to shut up at home".

_"Fred!"_

"Just joking Ginny!" He threw his arms in the air in surrender. "Look, we're going to meet Lee, but we're only a few doors down if you need us, alright?"

Ginny nodded nervously. "Catch you later then Ginny" said the one Eve guessed was Fred. The one she guessed was George bowed theatrically to her. "A pleasure making your acquaintance, Miss Eve".

_"George!"_

"We're leaving!" George winked. "Hope to see you both in Gryffindor!"

After they left Ginny grinned sheepishly. "Sorry about them".

"It's fine, I thought they were funny!" Eve said truthfully. "Um, what's Gryffindor?"

"Huh? Oh, it's one of the school houses!" Ginny blinked with polite surprise. "Are you muggleborn then? I mean, your parents aren't wizards?"

"I- yes". Eve answered hastily, and pushed on. "Are both your brothers in Gryffindor?"

Ginny nodded. "My whole family is".

"Is everyone in your family a wizard?"

"Er, I think so".

"That's so cool!"

Ginny seemed to relax a bit. "Is it?" she smiled. She put her diary down on the seat next to her coat.

"Yeah!" Eve sat forward in her seat earnestly. "Before Charity – I mean, Professor Burbage – before she came with my letter, me and Daniel thought we were the only ones. Daniel's my friend" she added. "He's coming to Hogwarts next year".

The train started to move. Up and down the train and on the platform there was a sudden eruption of noise as both parents and passengers hurried to the windows. Eve felt a rush of excitement. Heart hammering, she pressed her forehead against the window, drinking in the chaotic platform. The screeching of owls and cats reached a crescendo as the train pulled out of the station, and outside parents clamoured to wave goodbye to their children and frantically hand them forgotten items. Eve watched as Ginny waved goodbye to her parents, grinning embarrassedly as her sobbing mother jogged by the train.

Eve's heart sank. She wished Daniel hadn't had to go to school that day, but Ms Winter had put her foot down on him coming to wave her off. Eve supposed Ms Winter probably would have tried to come along to accompany Daniel, and Charity had explained that they had to keep a platform a secret from Ms Winter anyway. She pressed her nose against the window again, scanning the crowd to see if perhaps Charity was there to wave her off. There was no sign of her – she must have left after she'd finished registering all the other muggleborns.

Ginny noticed her looking. "Could you not find your mum and dad?" she asked as the train pulled out of the station, looking concerned.

"I-", Eve swallowed awkwardly at the question. "They're not here, they died. A year ago".

"Oh!" Ginny's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry, how did they? I mean, I'm sorry I shouldn't ask-"

"It's okay" Eve said with a hasty smile, feeling a wave of gratitude as the compartment door slid open again.

A girl with bushy brown hair walked in, already changed into her uniform. "Hi Ginny!" she said, looking relieved to see her.

"Hi Hermione".

"Have you seen Ron or Harry?" the girl called Hermione asked, and when Ginny shook her head she sighed exasperatedly. "I've searched up and down the train, they don't seem to be in any of the compartments".

Ginny looked worried. "Maybe they're looking for you too?"

"Maybe, but I don't see how I could have missed them".

"Maybe" sounded a snide voice from the corridor. "They finally got some sense and ditched the mudblood".

A pale boy with blond hair appeared at the door, resting casually against it with a self-satisfied smirk. Something about the boy looked familiar to Eve, but she couldn't quite place where from. Bringing up the rear were two thickset boys, each with equally stupid expressions.

"Go away Malfoy" Hermione snapped, and by her side Ginny stood up, a fierce scowl on her face.

"How dare you call her that!" her small voice trembled in outrage. Following her lead, Eve stood up too and glared at Malfoy. She didn't know what a mudblood was, but it didn't take a genius to figure out it wasn't good.

Malfoy snorted, and looked Ginny up and down.

"Nice jumper by the way, _Weasley._ What did your mum have to sell to afford the wool?"

Ginny's shoulders instantly drooped. Hermione's eyes flashed. "I said go away Malfoy!" she said angrily. "Don't pay any attention to him Ginny".

"You know, I've been meaning to ask, _Weasley_" said Malfoy loudly over Hermione. "Your brother never said, is it true your family has to sleep in one room? In the same bed?"

"Fuck off!" Eve said sharply, alarmed at Ginny's expression. Unfortunately all she succeeded in doing was make the three boys sputter, and when Hermione slammed the compartment door they could still hear them hooting and laughing down the corridor.

* * *

_**1989**_

_"Shabby little thing" Gran scoffed, tugging at the shoulder of Eve's coat in contempt and giving Mum a pointed look. "You don't have to make it so _obvious,_ do you?"_

_Mum didn't answer, pursing her lips as though Gran hadn't said anything and placing her hand protectively on Eve's other shoulder. The coat was from Oxfam, and though Mum had done her best to re-stitch the edges and roll up the sleeves neatly it still looked about two-sizes too big._

_Gran turned and went to stand by coffin, where a small crowd of relatives who Eve didn't recognise parted for her. Dad shared a weary glance with Mum, and followed to stand hesitantly near his brother's coffin. Standing on her tiptoes and peering through the relatives Eve could just about see Uncle Matthew, lying in the coffin in his army uniform. A lot of other people at the funeral were wearing the same uniform, their chests adorned with tiny medals on different coloured ribbons._

_Eve squirmed. The last time she had been to a funeral had been Uncle Tariq's last year. She'd known Mum's brother a lot more than she knew Uncle Matthew, so she'd been more upset when Uncle Tariq died. Her memory of that day was mostly a blur. It had been unusually hot and stuffy, with a strong smell of musty carpets filling the small room. Mum had spent the funeral glued to the front of the room, Dad's arm held around her as she stared at the photo of Tariq on the mantelpiece. Her hand was tightly gripping Grandad's shoulder, who was also absorbed in the photo, sat slumped in his wheelchair._

_Uncle Ray had spent Uncle Tariq's funeral lingering silently near the back. Eve remembered turning around and waving at him, and he'd managed a sad smile and waved back at her. Her parents missed him when he left, slipping away before the funeral was over. The last they'd heard from him was a card five months later on her 8__th__ birthday._

_Dad clenched and unclenched his fists as he teetered outside the crowd of relatives. Approaching Gran cautiously, he reached out to place his hand on her shoulder._

_"He's not left you anything" Gran said simply. Dad withdrew his hand as though he'd been stung._

_"That's not why I'm here" he said quietly._

_"Why not? I'd have expected you to come around begging sooner"._

_Eve watched Dad nervously. Largely built and broad shouldered, if one of the other kid's dads came barging up to him he was able to merely stare them down until they backed away. Yet around Gran he seemed to shrink._

_Some of the relatives had started to mutter around them, doing a poor job of pretending they weren't listening in. Mum took hold of Eve's hand and they moved closer to Dad, who swallowed._

_"Mum, can we please not do this now? Not today"._

_"How many months has it been now?" Gran said carelessly, her cold gaze sweeping over Dad disapprovingly. "Since they fired you?"_

_"Chrissie wasn't fired" Mum interjected in a low voice. "They were shutting down, everyone was laid off". Mum slipped her hand into Dad's and gave it an encouraging squeeze. Eve watched as Dad's fingers clung back. _

_"_Chrissie_" Gran sniffed, throwing Mum a poisonous glare. "Still doesn't explain why it's taking _Christopher_ so long to find a new job"._

_Eve barely understood what they were talking about, but she felt a swell of anger and burning hatred towards Gran. She liked Grandad a lot more, he was much nicer than Gran. He used to sit her on his knee and pretend to pick out her curls. "Your poor _Naana_ is going bald" he'd say, taking an imaginary strand of her hair and patting it down on his head. "You don't mind me borrowing some of your hair, do you?"_

_Of course, he didn't really talk much or do anything these days, and he kept forgetting her name. They couldn't leave him on his own, so Amira from next door was minding him while they were at Uncle Matthew's funeral._

_Gran gave Mum a sideways glance, then addressed Dad as though Mum wasn't even there. "Did you have to bring them along?"_

_Eve felt Mum's hand grip hers tighter. Looking up to her face she could see Mum trying to remain impassive, but a familiar fury simmered behind her eyes. Dad glanced anxiously at them, and when he spoke again there was a slight plea in his voice._

_"Mum-"_

_"-You have no right bringing them here" Gran interrupted brusquely._

_Dad went rigid. "Meenah has every right to be here" he said, meeting her eye and trying to keep his voice even. "She's my wife, like it or not. And Evie, she's your granddaughter-"_

_"She's not my granddaughter"_

_There was an ugly pause. More people around them were watching and listening in, sharing disapproving glances and maintaining an icy distance._

_Dad's shoulders drooped. He stared helplessly at Gran for a moment, his jaw clenched painfully. "We're leaving" he finally said in resignation. Gran turned away to face the coffin again in a silent dismissal. _

_"Come on Evie". With a worried glance at Dad, Mum knelt by Eve and zipped up her coat. Eve looked up at Dad as they quietly ushered her towards the door. A distant glaze had clouded over his eyes._

* * *

The train very quickly left London far behind, speeding past fields dotted with villages and blurring through long stretches of trees. After Malfoy's comments Ginny had avoided looking at either Eve or Hermione, and when Hermione apologetically left to continue her search for Harry and Ron she retreated back to her seat in the far corner of the compartment. Eve didn't know what to say, biting her lip while Ginny looked intently out the window, her eyes blinking rapidly as though holding back tears. Eventually Ginny quietly picked up her small black diary from her coat, holding it tight in her hands on her lap.

"There was a boy like Malfoy at my old school" Eve said loudly, suddenly breaking the silence. A startled Ginny looked up from her diary, and met her eyes.

"His name was Billy O'Neill. He used to make fun of my clothes all the time" Eve continued determinedly. "A lot of it was second hand and too big for me, Mum always bought a size up so I'd grow into it".

Ginny sighed. "All my school stuff's second hand too".

An idea struck Eve. "You know what I think?" she said with an evil grin. "I think we should do to Malfoy what I did to Billy".

This sparked Ginny's interest. "What did you do?" she asked, sitting forward in her seat. An eager grin hesitantly etched its way across her face, almost a mirror image of the twins.

"He said that his mum said that my mum dressed me like a knacker. So I sneaked into the changing room during P.E. and I poured water over his trousers so it looked like he'd wet himself".

"Brilliant. Did you get caught?"

"The fifth time. Mum was furious, she said it was bullying".

Ginny nodded grimly. "My mum would probably kill me too. So, what shall we do with Malfoy?"

They spent the next hour plotting, quickly establishing that Malfoy's clothes would be safely locked away in the Slytherin dorm. Ginny brightened up rapidly as the hour went by, giddily throwing forward ideas with increasing enthusiasm. Eve briefly suggested getting sorted into Slytherin, but Ginny reasoned that would be going too deep undercover. They were considering the possibilities of frog spawn in water balloons when the trolley lady came.

"Do they really mean every flavour" Eve asked Ginny, examining the box of _Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans_ with interest. When she'd revealed the money Charity had given her for sweets they'd excitedly agreed that she should try a bit of everything. Ginny's sandwiches lay forgotten next to her diary.

Ginny nodded, biting the head off a jelly slug. "You want to be careful" she warned. "Some are normal, like strawberry, but there are some nasty ones in there".

Eve poured herself a handful, and tentatively bit into them one by one. Carrot. Fudge. Spoon? Spinach. She couldn't wait to try these out on Daniel. She decided she was going to bring him a whole pile of sweets when she came back for Christmas. He would love the Chocolate Frog cards; she could already see him ogling the moving pictures of famous witches and wizards for hours.

"You can give him some of my cards if you like, I've got doubles" offered Ginny, shuffling through her pack. "Is he muggleborn too then?"

Eve considered this for a moment. "Er, I think so. His dad was a muggle, but he never knew his mum. She could have been a witch…"

She hesitated, struggling to voice a thought that had been troubling her. Charity hadn't given her any answers, and she wasn't sure whether she should mention it to Ginny. Maybe not yet. Another question came to mind.

"Ginny" she asked slowly. "What did Malfoy mean, when he called Hermione a mudblood?"

Ginny scowled. "It's a horrible thing to call someone. Malfoy should never have said it."

"But what is it?"

"It's-" Ginny shifted uncomfortably in her seat and sighed. "My dad said it's an insult for… for people who are muggleborn. He said there are some wizards, like Malfoy, who think they're better because they're something called pureblood".

"Pureblood? Like, pureblood wizard?"

Ginny nodded grimly. "It's stupid, my dad said most wizards have some muggle in them, there's no such thing as a real pureblood. But don't worry" she added quickly, seeing Eve's expression. "For most wizards it doesn't make any difference if you're muggleborn".

"Okay" Eve said, a little doubtful, but she returned Ginny's determined gaze with a weak smile. "And if Malfoy tries anything, we'll get him with the frog spawn!"

"Definitely!" Ginny looked relieved. They went back to eating their sweets and swapping chocolate frog cards, but Eve's mind was elsewhere. The wizarding world had started to feel a little less welcoming. The word 'mudblood' was revolving around in her mind and, unbidden, a horrible memory, the flash of green light from last year, surfaced threateningly.

She shivered and pushed the memory down. She did not want to think about it. But still the word 'mudblood' lingered. With growing unease, her thoughts strayed to the week after Uncle Matthew's funeral.

* * *

_**1989**_

_She slid quietly down the stairs, softly clutching the banisters and peering through the crack in the door. Mum and Dad were sat in the kitchen, arguing in hushed voices._

_"Stupid thing to do, wasting money like that. She doesn't need it!"_

_"She's not going in a hand-me-down"._

_They were talking about her Communion dress. Dad wasn't particularly religious, but he would still take Eve with him to Church every now and then, avoiding eye contact with Gran like the plague. And in a week Eve would be taking her first Communion with half of the other kids at school. Usually she'd very loudly claim she didn't care about dresses, but she had felt a slight twinge listening to the other girls talking about their special new Communion dresses. _

_Until Dad came home and surprised both her and Mum with a brand-new dress of her own. _

_Eve had fallen in love with it instantly. She hadn't been allowed to try it on, but she sneaked into Mum and Dad's room while they were downstairs, where it hung in their wardrobe for safekeeping. It was too high for her to take down, but she stared up at it giddily, fingering the soft gauzy material of the skirt. Looking down to peek in the box bearing the matching white shoes, another box in the corner of the wardrobe caught her interest._

_"You think she'll be the only one?" Mum hadn't said anything when Dad came home with the dress, but had spent dinner tight-lipped, glaring at Dad across the table with barely concealed anger and sadness. "There's no shame in it, forget what that old bat thinks!" In the days since their disastrous meeting with Gran at the funeral Dad had been increasingly on edge._

_"This isn't about shame"._

_"That's exactly what it's about!" Mum's stern voice cracked in an odd way, and Eve realised with a jolt that Mum was close to crying. "But you've got to wake up, we can't afford it! You have to return the bloody thing"._

_"I'm not returning it. I'll find the money somehow"._

_"How-?"_

_"Just leave it to me!" He'd raised his voice to a shout, and silence followed. Eve edged herself closer, forehead against the banister. Dad lowered his voice again. "I'm sorry. But she's not going in a bloody rented hand-me-down. Not for this"._

_Mum didn't reply. Silently, Eve let go of the banisters and crept up the stairs, back to her parents' room. She opened the wardrobe and carefully placed the birth certificate back where she'd found it, tucked in a box in the corner. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest. She couldn't ask them about it. Not now._

_When Mum came in to check on her later she pretended to be asleep. Although her eyes were closed Eve could sense her standing by the door, watching her quietly. Mum's soft footsteps creaked on the floor boards and she felt her wipe a stray curl from her face, tucking it carefully behind her ear. It was a long time before Mum left the room and went to bed._

_Eve didn't say anything about the argument or the certificate the next day, acting as though she wasn't noticing Mum and Dad's tired faces. Over the next few days her thoughts strayed guiltily upstairs to the box hidden away in their wardrobe, but she never brought it up. Neither did Mum or Dad. _

_As the weeks stretched into months it fell to the back of her mid, resurfacing briefly every now and then before she pushed it back again, resisting the temptation to sneak upstairs and look once more at her real name, printed in black ink. _

_**Evelyn Lestrange**_


	2. Chapter 2: The Annoying Boy on the Train

_"Were my real parents muggles?"_

_"I'm afraid I don't know", Charity said uncertainly. They had just left Gringotts, where Charity had picked up a small sack full of strange coins she said were from a school fund for students who didn't have any money. Now they were walking back through the cobbled street of Diagon Alley. When they'd first entered through the Leaky Cauldron Eve almost broke her neck, excitedly turning it this way and that to try and catch a glimpse of everything._

_For the first few weeks after she got her Hogwarts letter Charity had been the only person from the wizarding world who Eve had contact with, aside from one meeting with a stern-faced ministry wizard. He'd come to ask her about the night her parents died, while Charity hovered anxiously by the door. Each time Charity came to visit Eve and Daniel had battered her with questions about the wizarding world, hardly able to believe there was a whole community of witches and wizards aside from them living in secret._

_And here they were. Witches and wizards and shops full of broomsticks and silver telescopes and brass cauldrons all around her…_

_Yet the main question she wanted answers for had been on her mind long before the letter arrived, and now it burned stronger than ever. But try as she might, no matter how many times she asked the same question, it was impossible getting an answer out of Charity._

_The Muggle Studies professor peered down at the list distractedly, obviously trying to get Eve to change the subject. "How about we stop off to get your school books first?"_

_"But why did you tell me not to use the name Lestrange at school?"_

_"Do you want to use the name Lestrange?"_

_"I – no, I want to stay Eve Hughes" she said determinedly. Even so she still couldn't help her thoughts straying to the name on the birth certificate. She'd been disappointed when Ms Winter informed her that they unfortunately hadn't had any luck so far finding anyone with the name Lestrange. After the first few months in the home the thought that she might have another family out there… well she didn't really know how she felt about it._

_The birth certificate now lay in the drawer by her bed in the children's home, next to a photo of her parents, whose eyes she imagined staring up at her reproachfully. Whenever she couldn't sleep, which was a lot, she'd find herself kicking away the sheets that knotted around her legs from twisting in bed. She'd then open the drawer, as if the more she stared at the certificate the more secrets it might reveal._

_At first Eve thought she might be sent to live with Mum's friend Amira next door, who still invited her around for tea every other week. But she had 'too many kids and too little space', as Ms Winter carelessly put it, 'especially with another baby on the way'. Gran definitely wasn't an option. She hadn't been at the funeral and she certainly hadn't contacted Eve once. Charity was nice, Eve liked it when she came to visit and she'd offered to take her to Diagon Alley to get her school stuff and everything, but sometimes she was just frustrating._

_"You told me not to use the name Lestrange" Eve repeated impatiently. "And there's obviously a reason for that. And Ms Winter couldn't find anyone with that name in the muggle world, so they must have been from the wizarding world!"_

_Charity sighed and looked at Eve with a mix of frustration and pity, chewing her lip. Eve noticed that she did this whenever she was under pressure._

_"Look" Charity said finally. "I really need you to trust me on this. I promise you there's nothing to worry about but-" she hesitated. "Just… be patient with me. I will find out anything I can, and when I do you'll know about it. But until then you must promise me to keep that name a secret". She put a hand on Eve's shoulder and knelt down to her level to look her carefully in the eye. "Promise me?"_

_Eve said nothing at first. She frowned, not sure what to make of it. "If there's nothing to worry about" she said slowly, "why is it so important that I keep it a secret? Please" she begged, seeing Charity's exasperation. "You obviously know something"._

_Charity looked pained. "Eve" she started, when behind her an old woman, lost in mid-argument with a round-faced boy, crashed into her and dropped her shopping bags._

_"For Merlin's sake!" A formidable looking witch, tall, thin and bony, straightened her hat and glared at them indignantly. "What on earth are you doing, squatting in the middle of the street?"_

_"It's your fault too - you weren't watching where you're going!" Eve said shortly, earning herself a warning look from Charity._

_The woman drew herself up, the stuffed vulture atop her hat towering over them, and Eve was reminded forcibly of Gran. By both the woman and the vulture. "Why you cheeky little madam" she scolded "in my day we would never have spoken to our elders with such insolence-"_

_"I'm afraid she does have a point, Mrs Longbottom" Charity said in her defence, bending down to help the woman's grandson pick up the bags. "You weren't watching where you were going"._

_Mrs Longbottom squinted at Charity. "Do I know you?"_

_"We've met, briefly, while you were still on the board of governors?" Charity held out her hand. "I'm the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts. Your grandson won't have been in any of my classes yet"._

_She smiled kindly at the boy, who blushed. Mrs Longbottom smirked. "Nor will he" she said dismissively. "My grandson will not be wasting his time with that tripe. He may not have his father's talent, but I hope he'll at least amount to more than an O.W.L. in Muggle Studies!"_

_Eve felt something on her foot. Looking down she jumped, and a fat brown toad hopped off her shoe. 'Trevor!" the boy cried gratefully, scurrying down to pick him up. His grandmother clicked her teeth. "You keep that blasted thing safe now Neville, I don't want to hear you losing him again"._

_Neville looked at his feet, his face reddening again. Eve tried smiling at him sympathetically but he was determinedly avoiding eye contact. Beside them Mrs Longbottom and Charity had started up a very heated discussion about Muggle Studies._

_Barely following the argument, Eve glanced around interestedly at Diagon Alley. She'd barely been able to drink it all in yet, and she was itching to go inside some of the shops. In the window of one shop bearing the sign 'Magical Menagerie' an array of owls of all colours and sizes – white, tawny, brown, grey - squawked in their cages, and beneath them a giant wrinkled tortoise with a jewel encrusted shell blinked sleepily. She gazed at the beautiful creature wistfully, regretting that Daniel hadn't been able to come along._

_A few shops down from the Menagerie an entrance led to a small dark alleyway. Next to it was a battered sign: 'Knockturn Alley'. The tall buildings on either side cast foreboding shadows on the narrow path, so that the man and the boy who emerged from it seemed almost to appear out of nowhere._

_She stared at them as the man impatiently beckoned his son, who like him was pale and thin with white blond hair. The man looked around, grasping in his gloved hands an elaborate silver-topped cane that matched the ornate clasp of his cloak. As he surveyed the street his grey eyes briefly locked onto hers._

_Eve was suddenly rooted to the spot. The sounds of Charity and Mrs Longbottom's argument and the buzz and chatter of the noisy street faded into silence. Her eyes followed the man and his son, a sharp chill on the back of her neck that she couldn't explain._

* * *

"Has anyone seen a toad?"

Eve and Ginny looked up. The train had been moving for hours, rumbling through darkening moors and forests as night fell. It wouldn't be long until they were finally at Hogwarts.

At the door of their compartment stood the round-faced boy from Diagon Alley. He'd hastily half-changed himself into his school uniform, the collar of his shirt poking messily through the neck of his robes.

"You've lost him again?" Eve asked, raising her eyebrows. The boy startled, and upon recognising Eve his cheeks tinged pink.

"Hi Neville!" It was Hermione again. Neville looked intensely relieved to see her. "Hullo Hermione".

"Hi Hermione!" Ginny and Eve chorused together, slightly out of sync. They'd spent some of the past hour practising – but they hadn't quite mastered it the way Fred and George had yet.

"Any sign of them?" Ginny added worriedly. A downcast Hermione shook her head. "I've been searching the train all day. Fred and George haven't seen them either. Percy's sent an owl to your parents".

"I'm sure they're ok" said Eve, seeing Ginny's alarm. "Could they be playing a prank?"

"No, I don't think so!" There was an edge of panic in Ginny's voice. "They're not like Fred and George, and even they wouldn't – I don't understand, they were with us at the station!"

"Were they with you on platform 9 and ¾?" Eve asked, a thought occurring to her.

Ginny frowned, thinking. "I'm not sure, I can't remember. The last I remember seeing them was King's Cross".

"They might not have been able to get onto the platform!" Seeing their puzzled looks Eve added "I had trouble getting on, there was something wrong with the barrier, but then Charity – one of the teachers – came along and fixed it. Maybe it broke again!"

Hermione didn't look convinced. "There might not have been anything wrong with the platform" she reasoned. "I couldn't get through it when I was in first year, I was too nervous to run at it-".

"But Charity said-" Eve started, but Neville piped up. "Maybe they're under the cloak?"

"Huh?"

"Harry's invisibility cloak" Hermione said thoughtfully. "But I don't think they'd be pranking us, not for this long anyway. They would have responded when they heard I was worried".

"Not if someone put them under Petrificus Totalus" Neville muttered. Hermione paused and nodded guiltily. "Ok, that's a… good point. I'm going to have another look".

"We'll come!" said Ginny urgently. Eve nodded in agreement, restraining herself from asking about this invisibility cloak and what Neville meant by Petrificus Totalus. "Yeah, the more people the better" she said, following them into the corridor. "Plus, we might find Neville's toad along the way".

"Thanks" Neville muttered gratefully, and in front of them Hermione sighed. "Again?"

They split off into pairs. Neville hurried along after Hermione while Ginny and Eve went down the corridor the opposite way, confusing the occupants of the other compartments as they apologetically entered and waved their arms and legs around, searching in thin air. "Are you looking for wrackspurts?" asked one dreamy-voiced girl with dirty blond hair. A red blush crept up Ginny's neck as the other kids in the compartment sniggered. The girl looked disappointed when they told her they weren't looking for wrackspurts, but she offered to help them look anyway.

"Why would someone put them under petriffy toatless?" Eve asked Ginny, after searching the 14th compartment, while the strange girl, who had introduced herself as Luna Lovegood, chattered distractedly about wrackspurts behind them.

"Petrificus Totalus" Ginny corrected, shrugging. "I don't know, might have been one of the Slytherins as a prank. If they were under the invisibility cloak then nobody would be able to help unfreeze them. Maybe…" she stopped, her face darkening. Ahead of them in the corridor were Malfoy and his two henchmen, sniggering and poking their wands at a small dark shape dangling upside down in one of the larger boys' hands.

With a jolt Eve finally recognised Malfoy as the pale boy from Diagon Alley, the one who had left Knockturn Alley with his grey-eyed father. And there, flailing desperately as Malfoy jabbed it with his wand was… Trevor.

Blood boiling, she marched towards them. "Leave him alone!" she yelled, clenching her fists.

Malfoy startled slightly, but upon seeing her he smirked. "Look boys" he said theatrically, as she came to a halt in front of him. "It's the foulmouthed first year".

He was about a foot taller than her. She straightened herself as far as she could without standing on tiptoe and jutted her chin out. "That's Neville's toad!" she said angrily. "Give him back!"

Eve tried to stay impassive as the three of them started laughing. She was horribly aware that her voice had almost risen to a squeak, so she tried to keep glaring at them, crossing her arms in an attempt to look intimidating.

Malfoy looked her up and down, taking in her clothes, and smirked. "Oi, Weasley" he called, noticing Ginny behind her. "Come get your pet mudblood back!"

Ginny opened her mouth in fury, and Luna, who had been watching with polite curiosity, frowned. "That's not a very nice thing to say to someone" she scolded gently. Malfoy took one look at her and hooted. "I know you!" he laughed in delight. "You were with your dad when he tried to come around to our house, blabbering about crumple horned whatsits".

"Crumple-Horned Snorkacks!" Luna said eagerly, her frown evaporating. "Daddy was going door-to-door looking for sponsors for our expedition to Sweden, we have evidence that there's a herd in Sonfjället! Daddy tried putting an advertisement in the Daily Prophet, but they weren't interested in printing it-".

One look at Ginny told Eve all she needed to know about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, but still she scowled at Malfoy, who was almost bent double with laughter while his bodyguards guffawed dimly at either side.

"You can laugh at Luna's dad all you want" Ginny said fiercely. "But my dad's told me all about your dad. He said you have all sorts of forbidden items in your house, all full of dark magic-"

An ugly scowl came across Malfoy's face. "It seems what my dad said about yours is true then" he said. He took a step towards them and Ginny edged back, her nerve starting to fail her. "He said he's a washed-up penniless blood traitor jealous of those who have proper wizarding pride". Malfoy sneered. "And you're a blood traitor just like him, with your pet squeaky mudblood-"

The last word was barely out of his mouth when Eve swung and crashed her fist into his nose.

* * *

**1991**

_"We do not tolerate hitting in this house!"_

_Behind Ms Winter Lucy's eyes glinted with a mix of triumph and resentment, a reddening tissue held up to her sore and swollen nose. Eve resisted baring her teeth at her and glared up at Ms Winter mutinously._

_"She called me a liar!" she roared, trying to ignore the kids sniggering in the background. Among the whisperings she heard the words 'crazy' and 'nutcase'._

_Ms Winter was doing her trying-to-be-patient face, which oddly looked like she was sucking on a particularly sour lemon. "Eve" she said, in her trying-to-be-patient voice. "I understand you're going through a difficult time-"_

_'A difficult time', a voice in her head scoffed derisively. Eve felt herself trembling in anger. 'Don't do it', warned another, more sensible voice in her head. 'It's definitely not worth it'. She opened her mouth –_

_Ten minutes later she was grumbling furiously to herself, struggling with the Henry Hoover. Ms Winter had decided she should vent out some of her frustration by hoovering the floors upstairs. Eve vented by jamming Henry's stupid smiling face against the wall repeatedly._

_Tears stung in her eyes. The past few weeks had been hell. No one believed her, not the police, not the social workers, and especially not the other kids. She was sick and tired of the muttering every time she entered a room, of the alarmed and pitying eyes cast her way. No matter how many times she insisted she hadn't imagined it, all she accomplished was making people think she was merely distressed and 'deeply disturbed'. Her story of masked men who had silently crept into the house and murdered her parents in a flash of green light was a hard one to swallow._

_The worst part, when she herself had the most serious doubts about her sanity, was when the police seemed to forget it had ever happened. "There are no signs of forced entry", one policewoman had said kindly a few days later, trying to calm her down. "No sign of a struggle. We're still waiting on the autopsy reports, but all the signs indicate your parents died of natural causes"._

_"What?" Eve had been nonplussed, the police station spinning around her into a blur as she tried to make sense of it all. None of the police seemed to remember the broken banisters. Or Amira from next door, who'd been the one to call the police to report a group of shadowy strangers in black hoods entering the house. She'd accompanied Eve to the police station, holding a trembling arm around her and gently steering her into the police car, but she didn't remember the hooded men or even making the phone call. And when they finally consented to drive Eve home to set her mind at rest, she found the banisters in one piece, showing no sign of any damage, as though she'd merely imagined the way she'd reached out her hand and-_

_Eve closed her eyes, wishing she'd kept her mouth shut about that. Masked men with wands were one thing, but her blasting a grown man back into the air without touching him? No wonder the other kids were laughing at her. Yet she remembered it. She'd stood paralysed in the doorway as the flash of green light engulfed first Dad, then Mum. She'd screamed as they dropped unmoving to the floor, like marionettes with their strings abruptly cut._

_The masked men stepped over their bodies towards her and she turned on her heel and ran, dodged the man by the front door, and clambered frantically up the stairs, sobbing in terror. A hand grasped at her ankle and she turned, locking eyes with her pursuer, his cold eyes searing through the slit of his silver mask. He raised his wand and she had reflexively thrown out her arm._

_A sudden shock of energy rippled through her, and something invisible blasted the man back, crashing like thunder into the banisters. A deafening sound like the crack of a whip had shot through the air, at the same time police sirens sounded outside. There was shouting downstairs, then that same whipping sound again and suddenly the man was gone, leaving behind only a splintered mess. The house was empty and silent. Eve sat alone on the stairs while her parents lay dead on the floor, staring in shock at what she had done._

_Except she couldn't have done it. She shook herself. The man must have just tripped. But still, how did they all vanish? What about the green light?_

_She realised she was being watched. Turning around she saw a small boy stood apprehensively in the doorway._

_"Go away", she snarled, ramming the hoover threateningly against the wall. The boy startled, but didn't leave. Eve sighed and turned the hoover off. "What do you want?"_

_"I- I heard the story" he started carefully, and she saw the whirring of his brain behind his eyes as he struggled over how best to broach the topic. "About- about what happened to your parents"._

_Eve scowled, and jutted her chin out as though daring him to laugh. "Come to call me crazy too?"_

_"You're not crazy"._

_"I'm not- huh?"_

_Something about the way he said it caught her. She scrutinised him for a second. "You believe me? You think I'm telling the truth?"_

_"I know you're telling the truth. You're not crazy" the boy said again, firmly._

_A mix of gratitude and confusion flooded her. In his dark brown eyes she saw the usual – nervousness, pity – but they were also glittering with what looked like excitement._

_"If I'm not crazy…" she said slowly, taking a hesitant step towards the tiny boy. "What am I?"_

_"You're like me"._

* * *

"We do not tolerate this kind of behaviour at Hogwarts!"

A few feet away from them stood Ginny, Luna and the rest of the first years, huddled together by the grand staircase and watching from a distance as Professor McGonagall furiously reprimanded Eve for her outburst on the train.

She was a tall, severe-looking woman in emerald-green robes, her greying black hair pulled tightly into a bun. One look at her stern face and Eve knew she was in big trouble.

"You will see me at the end of your first Transfiguration lesson to discuss detention"

"But Malfoy had Neville's toad!" Eve protested in outrage. "And he said Ginny was a blood traitor, and that I was a mudblood, and he called Hermione a mudblood too! Give _him_ detention!"

"I will deal with Mr Malfoy later". McGonagall tightened her lips. "But you will not be excused for attacking another student! I don't want to have this conversation with you again. Now" she continued, peering down at the register through her glasses. "Name, please".

"Eve Hughes" she muttered, and in the corner of her eye she saw McGonagall falter slightly.

"Eve-Hughes?" McGonagall repeated, eyebrows raised, her voice betraying the slightest trace of surprise. Eve met her eyes, her heart thudding. "Yes?" she said uncertainly.

"Right. Well then". McGonagall recomposed herself. "Back to your classmates. I will be calling you all in for the Sorting shortly".

Her suspicions freshly raised, Eve made her way to join the rest of the first years. Ginny looked relieved. "You didn't get into too much trouble, did you?"

"I got detention" she grumbled. "She didn't take any house points off though, since I haven't got a house yet".

Around them the other first years were whispering anxiously, a couple of them poking around and interrogating each other about what house they thought they were going to be in. The large wooden doors to the Great Hall arched high above their heads. Behind them she could hear the chatter of the other students, already sat down in the hall.

"Did your brothers tell you anything about this hat we've got to try on?" she asked Ginny apprehensively.

"Not much" Ginny admitted. "They said when you put it on you can hear it talking inside your head or something. I think it looks inside your mind to decide what house you're best for".

Eve felt a bit sick. Charity had briefly mentioned the houses, but Ginny had filled her in more on the train, and she wasn't too sure she'd fit into any of them. Ginny had said muggleborns didn't get into Slytherin, but while Eve suspected her real parents may not have been muggles she definitely did not want to be in the same house as Malfoy. Ravenclaw… she guessed she was ok, Daniel was usually the smarter one though. Perhaps Hufflepuff, like Charity?

She looked over at Ginny, whose eyes were nervously fixed on the doors. From the way she'd talked about it Eve could tell that Ginny really wanted to be in Gryffindor like the rest of her family. It would be great if she could be in the same house as her new friend, but was she brave? The memory of that night surfaced, and she shivered. She hadn't felt brave then.

Her reveries were interrupted by the doors opening, and they were momentarily forgotten. She gaped at the sight of Great Hall, craning her neck upwards to look at the ceiling. Above them stretched an inky-black sky peppered with stars. As soft shadows of clouds trailed slowly across Eve realised the ceiling was reflecting the real sky outside. Against the night flickered thousands of luminous candles, which floated suspended above the heads of a sea of students in black robes.

There was a click next to her. Colin Creevey from earlier was excitedly clutching a camera.

Their awestruck heads still gazing upwards, the first years were led past the long tables and clustered together near the front table where the teachers sat. At the centre sat a silver-bearded wizard in deep purple robes who Eve guessed was the Headmaster.

Their eyes were drawn to the stool in front of the staff table, on which McGonagall carefully placed an old frayed hat. For a moment Eve stared at it uncertainly, waiting for something to happen. To her shock a rip in the seam of the hat opened like a mouth, and it burst into song. Bewildered, Eve caught eyes with Charity at the end of the staff table, who grinned in amusement at her expression and gave her the thumbs up as the hat described the four houses. She'd changed out of the casual muggle jumper and jeans she'd worn at the station, and was now wearing elegant wizarding robes, her frizzy hair twisted back delicately in a richly patterned scarf. Eventually the hat stopped singing and McGonagall stepped forwards, cleared her throat, and started to read out names from her list.

"Arncliffe, Becky"

All of Eve's anxiety from before came flooding back. She eyed the hat wearily as a girl with a long blond braid sat under it. The large hat fell over the girl's eyes. What was going on behind it? Was the hat really looking into her thoughts? Eve shivered again. She was definitely going to be sick. She was afraid what she might hear from the hat about that night-

"RAVENCLAW!"

Name after name was read out, and goosebumps rose on her arms as McGonagall made her way towards the Hs.

"Hughes, Evelyn".

Eve shakily made her way over to the stool. She held her breath as McGonagall lowered the large hat over her eyes, and the sea of candle-lit faces in the Great Hall disappeared.. Almost instantly she heard the Sorting Hat's voice in her head. _Lestrange._

A chill crept up her spine at the name. _Not a bad mind, hmm, fair amount of cunning, could be a Slytherin... Not a muggleborn then._ So that pretty much confirms what Charity wouldn't tell her.

_More an unfortunate tradition than a requirement for Slytherin, but yes, not a muggleborn indeed_ the hat concurred, reading her thoughts. _Quite a temper you've got too, my my, so very like your mother._

Eve almost choked in shock. This was the first thing she'd ever heard about her real parents. Her mind scrambled with questions, but the voice continued. _Now is not the time for that I'm afraid, let's see… where to put you?_ An argument rose within her but she got the sense it would get her nowhere. Instead she resigned herself.

_Just put me with my friend_, Eve pleaded, pushing her many questions to the side for now. _Please, she's going to be in Gryffindor, just put me with her._ There was silence for a moment, and she waited. Finally, she heard the hat's voice echo out loud.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Dizzy with relief, Eve staggered off the stool in the direction of the Gryffindor table, whose occupants were clapping and cheering. Fred and George moved over to give her a seat, and one of them extended out his hand with a theatrical twirl. "Delighted we should meet again, Miss Eve".

Opposite her Neville grinned gratefully, clutching Trevor in his hands. She smiled back at him and turned to watch the rest of the Sorting. 'Lovegood, Luna' looked completely unfazed as she perched on the stool and was quickly sorted into Ravenclaw. Finally, Ginny's name was called, the second-to-last on the register. Fred and George stood up and started whooping, and a red blush started to creep up Ginny's neck again.

They waited a few moments as the hat sat thinking, and Eve crossed her fingers.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

A beaming Ginny scurried over to the applauding Gryffindor table quickly while 'Zabini, Blaise' was called up, and she sat down between Eve and the twins. Looking up and down the table, she frowned, and Hermione leaned over. "They've still not turned up, I'm not sure what's happened to them".

As though in answer, a very annoyed and harassed looking McGonagall came over to them and addressed Ginny and the twins. "We've found your brother, and Harry" she said. "It seems they missed the train and had to find er, an alternative way to travel". Her lips were even tighter than they'd been with Eve. "I'm afraid they won't be joining you for the feast" McGonagall added curtly, and she briskly turned and left the Great Hall. After finishing his speech, the Headmaster followed her.

"Why aren't they joining us for the feast?" Hermione asked, puzzled. Fred shrugged. "Their loss" he said. "Pass us the chips will you?" To Eve's astonishment the plates had magically filled themselves with food.

Chatter went up and down the table. Trying to push away what she learnt from the Sorting Hat, Eve had a go at introducing herself to the other Gryffindor first years. Ginny did too, at her brother's nudging, but was too shy to join in the conversation. After one of the boys recognised them from earlier and sniggered, asking how their 'Wrackspurt Hunt' went, the two of them decided to just talk with the twins instead.

"Hey!" George said halfway through the feast. "What's this I hear from Lee about you punching Malfoy on the nose?" There were shouts of laughter along the Gryffindor table. Eve turned to look at the Slytherin table across the hall. A very morose looking Malfoy was scowling into his plate, his nose swollen and sore. The other first years looked with interest.

Feeling their eyes on her Eve, with a bit of bravado, shrugged nonchalantly. "He was asking for it" she said. Somewhere Daniel was rolling his eyes.

An impressed George reached around to appreciatively pat her on the back. "Nice one!" he said, giving the Slytherin table an evil grin. "Smarmy little git. Ginny, this friendship has my full blessing".

Eve and Ginny laughed and, glancing sideways at each other, began to pitch Fred and George some of their ideas for Malfoy. "Sounds promising" Fred said, nodding pensively. "You may need to rethink how you're getting into the Slytherin common room though".

Hermione tutted disapprovingly, and another red-head spoke up from down the table, frowning. "It sounds as though Eve's already been in enough trouble today" he proclaimed in a pompous voice. "And you shouldn't be encouraging this, you're setting Ginny a bad example".

"Apologies brother dearest" Fred bowed his head gravely, putting on a mock impression of the older red-head. "But alas, we are honour-bound to inspire mischief wherever we find promising young talent. Who are we to discourage ambition?"

"If you get Ginny into trouble I'll be writing a letter to mother!" the older boy said haughtily. "As for the rest of you" He turned to the other first years, who were listening with interest. A polished prefects badge gleamed on his chest. "You may well have heard a few stories about what Gryffindors get up to, no doubt many amusing stories, but you'll find that the reckless behaviour of a few" he glared pointedly at the twins as he said this, who were trembling with trying to contain their laughter. "Do not accurately reflect Gryffindor house".

"GUESS WHAT" shouted a sandy haired boy with a strong Irish accent from down the table, laughing gleefully. "NEARLY-HEADLESS NICK SAID HARRY AND RON DROVE A FLYING CAR TO SCHOOL!"

* * *

_**1981**_

_The guards by the door paced in the corner of his eye._

_The baby squirmed in her cot, mewling piteously._

_She was still light enough that his skinny arms could just about lift her, if only for a bit._

_Her mother rarely held her._


	3. Chapter 3: The Magical Hot Chocolate

_The three of them sat around the table. Silence clung to the tiny kitchen, which felt strangely airless. The harsh moonlight from outside illuminated the cracked tiles on the floor. Eve glanced from Mum to Dad, who sat faced across from each other. They seemed fuzzy and distant from her, as though she were watching them through a frosted window. None of them moved an inch._

_The masked men appeared soundlessly. Eve locked eyes with the nearest one, its silver face gleaming, and she began to violently shake. Move she told herself, tearing away her gaze to plead wordlessly with her parents. Move. Now. Please move. But her limbs were heavy with lead._

_The masked men approached Dad first. Eve watched, frozen in her seat, as their leader raised his wand. Move. The voice in her head hissed. Do something. A flash of green light engulfed Dad, and he slumped forward onto the table with empty eyes._

_Mum screamed. Her howl pierced Eve, ripping through the silence as Mum screamed and screamed at Dad lying before her. Eve watched helplessly. The masked men turned to Mum. Move Eve urgently begged herself. Move. Now._

_A second flash of light. Silence fell upon the tiny kitchen again. Eve gasped suddenly, as though she'd been holding her breath the whole time, and her chest heaved. The leader of the masked men stowed his wand away in his robes. His eyes shifted towards her and he made his way around the table, reaching out his hand._

_With a jolt her arm snapped free and she threw it up between them, pushing into the air in front of her. The leader was thrown back, and the masked men vanished as silently as they had come. The only sound in the dark, empty kitchen was her breath, shivering in the cold blue light of the moon._

Eve sat upright, panting and drenched with sweat. The only sound in the Gryffindor dorm was the hushed breathing of the other girls fast asleep around her. Stifling a sob she clambered out of her four-poster bed, throwing aside the curtains and staggering towards the window. Eve pressed her forehead against the cool glass and tried to calm her breathing. It had been a long time since she'd had that nightmare.

The starry sky from earlier was now gone, blotted out by the clouds. Below her she could just about make out the Hogwarts grounds, the corner of the lake in the distance briefly illuminated as the clouds trailed past to reveal the moon. By the lake the outlines of the trees shivered silently in the wind. Charity had told them that centaurs lived in that forest, magical horse creatures with human torsos. Daniel's eyes had widened in awe, and he enthusiastically asked what else lived in the forest. Eve wagered one of the first things he'd do when he finally came to Hogwarts would be to try and set foot there.

She wondered if Daniel had got her letter yet. She'd written it the moment they entered the dorm, climbing up the spiral stairs of the tower to find that their belongings had already been brought up - by house elves Ginny had told her. A tall girl with long plaits had said Eve could borrow her owl, but she wasn't too sure how fast owl post was, or how it would know where to go.

She hoped Daniel was okay. Usually at this time they'd both be up, sneaking into one another's rooms to practice magic. They sometimes practised during the day as well, but it was easier to not get caught at night.

* * *

_**1991**_

_"Show me!"_

_The two of them were sat cross-legged on the unmown grass outside, under an old wiry tree. It wasn't very warm out, but the other kids had kept walking in on them inside._

_"Hang on". Daniel glanced around to make sure no one was watching and beckoned to her. He had very dark skin, and his tightly curled hair was buzzed short and neat. Eve edged closer, kneeling nervously in the grass._

_The small boy, made even skinnier by a shirt almost two sizes too big for him, picked up a pebble and placed it carefully down on the grass between them, an energetic gleam in his dark brown eyes. Eve watched closely as his brows furrowed in a look of fierce concentration, both eyes fixated on the pebble. At first, nothing happened. Then, with a sudden thrill, Eve saw the smooth grey surface trembling. Slowly, shakily, the pebble was rising._

_It rose about 15 centimetres, rotating slightly in the air. For a moment it hung there, suspended. It then gave a little shudder as Daniel flinched, dropping to the ground with a quiet thud._

_For a moment she sat there in silence, staring at the now immobile pebble. She was dimly aware that her mouth was gaping open in awe, and looked up to see Daniel beaming at her giddily._

_Eve couldn't think of anything to say, plucking up the pebble and turning it over in her fingers. "Well" she finally managed to joke weakly. "That was a neat trick". Suddenly light-headed she erupted into giggles, laughing for the first time in weeks. Daniel laughed too, almost bouncing where he sat. "I've never been able to show it to anyone before!" he said excitedly, taking the pebble back from her, tossing it into the air and catching it. "I thought I was the only one!"_

_"You've got to teach me how!" Eve insisted. The sun strained weakly through the clouds above them, sending a faint stream of warmth through the branches of the tree. "Please, I've got to learn how to do magic!"_

_An hour later she was close to kicking the pebble away in frustration. "How the hell do you do it?" she demanded wearily as they made their way back to the house, where Ms Winter had impatiently called them in for dinner three times. Eve had concentrated and willed the pebble to move until her head throbbed, and still it remained irritatingly motionless._

_"Maybe you're forcing it too much?" Daniel suggested timidly, maintaining his distance. Eve had snapped at him earlier when he found it hard not to laugh at her increasingly frantic reactions, so he was proceeding with a bit more caution. "Try taking a step back. When I do it I try carefully picturing the pebble moving from one place to the other. Do it slowly, so you're focusing on every little movement, and the more you practice the easier it gets"._

_"How did you figure it all out?" Eve grumbled, but was impressed._

_Daniel shrugged. "I dunno, I just tried a few things out till it worked... I don't get on much with the other kids here so I've had a lot of time to practice"._

_"But how was I able to blast that man backwards?" Eve wondered out loud. The thought of it sent a wave of foreboding through her. If she and Daniel both had magic, how many other people did? Those masked men who killed her parents were still out there - had they been after Eve because she had magic? Would they come after her again?_

_"You said the magic blasted out of you" Daniel answered. "It burst out because you were scared, you were just trying to protect yourself"._

_"But I've never been able to do it before" Eve said doubtfully. "Would I be able to do it again?" If the masked men came back, she thought determinedly, she wanted to be ready._

_"You will, and you have done" Daniel reassured her. "When you and Ms Winter were shouting at each other earlier I saw some of the stuff on the shelf start to tremble a little, like you were shaking the room!"_

_"Really?" Eve stopped in her tracks. She hadn't noticed. No one else had, it seemed, other than Daniel. For the past few weeks she'd not really paid much attention to the tiny boy, or anyone else really for that matter. When she had noticed him, he'd often been sat on his own, distant from the other, rowdier kids and usually with his head buried in a book. At first Eve thought he was about 7 or 8, but he was only a year younger than her. Daniel certainly sounded a lot older when he spoke, and she could hear in his voice the amount of careful thought he'd put into everything he said._

_"I think it's more powerful when you're feeling a really strong emotion", Daniel continued. "That's how I first…"_

_Daniel hastily fell silent. Eve watched him in concern. "What was your first time?" she asked._

_Daniel said nothing, and a solemn look clouded over his eyes. "I'm sorry" Eve mumbled._

_Daniel shook his head, and gave her a small grin. "You'll learn how to control it eventually" he said, changing the subject. "We can practice together! Of course" he added with a wry smile, "it could just be you're naturally rubbish at magic"._

_Eve punched him lightly on the arm, and he nudged her back, laughing and ducking at her comeback. She tried again and somehow lost her footing, stumbling and landing on the ground. Daniel let out a snort of laughter, but stiffened hesitantly upon seeing her scowl._

_"I- I'm sorry-" he started, and yelped as Eve tackled him to the ground._

_A frustrated Ms Winter came out to call them in for the 'hundredth bloody time' and lost her temper at the sight of them giggling and scuffling in the grass. It took Eve three days before she was finally able to make the pebble budge, but it was from that first day – without either of them saying it – that they became best friends._

_So they'd been more than a little pissed off when Charity reminded them that Daniel was one year too young to start Hogwarts with Eve._

* * *

There was a dim pang in her chest. All those secret practise sessions were over now. Now she wouldn't be allowed to use magic outside of school until she turned 17. When Charity had come with her letter - after months of the two of them practising in secret - and with it the news that they were not alone, the idea of a whole world of witches and wizards had thrilled and excited them endlessly. And yet now…

A memory of a flash of green light, a pair of eyes glinting through a silver mask and the Sorting Hat's revelation stirred uncomfortably in her mind. She hadn't mentioned it in her letter to Daniel, she forgot about it in her rush to tell him as much as she could about Hogwarts.

The Sorting Hat said she had her mother's temper. She wondered what else came from her. Did her mother get into trouble at school too? Did Eve have her hair, or her father's eyes or nose? After she first found the birth certificate Eve had tried to cast her mind back for any memory she might have of them, perhaps some distant ghost of another voice whispering to her or another pair of arms holding her. But there were no distant memories to be had. Mum and Dad had told stories about her first steps and her first words, so Eve knew she'd been very young when they adopted her. Maybe her real parents had gotten rid of her straight away.

Her thoughts swirled tiredly around her head. There must be someone here at Hogwarts who could give her some answers, someone else who knew them.

Eve took one more glance at the school grounds and moved away from the window. She paused briefly as she passed Ginny, who was in the four-poster bed next to hers. Even in the dark she could see her new friend's flame-like red hair fanned out around her head on her pillow. A small, dark, rectangular shape told her Ginny had gone to sleep with her diary clutched tightly in her hands.

Eve was just about to clamber back into bed when she stopped in her tracks, staring at her bedside table.

It was a mug of hot chocolate. Eve gaped at it in bewilderment for a second, then looked around at the other girls bedside tables. None of them seemed to have one.

Had it been one of the house elves Ginny mentioned? She picked up the mug and wrapped her hands around it. It was still hot. Whoever had left it had not been gone long. Unless it was magic hot chocolate that stayed warm? And she'd just missed it before? Or had whoever put it there come and left quietly while she'd been facing the window?

Eve peered into the shadows, but there was no sign or sound of anyone. When she had found out how their bags had been brought up to their dorm she'd been excited, hoping to catch a glimpse of a house elf, but Ginny said that house elves always tried to stay unseen, that they only came out to clean when everyone was asleep or in lessons.

Feeling a little foolish Eve closed her eyes and waited, thinking perhaps they had only come out while her back was turned. After a few moments she opened them up again, but no more mugs appeared by the other girls beds. So the hot chocolate was just for her then? Had one of the house elves seen her having a nightmare and decided to cheer her up?

She felt an awkward rush of gratitude, and wondered if she should say thank you, in case they were listening. People said thank you to house elves, didn't they? Mum certainly would have told her to. Eve self-consciously raised her voice as high as she dared without waking anyone up, her timid 'Thank you?' sounding alien in the silent dorm.

Propping herself comfortably against the pillows, she slowly sipped her hot chocolate. A sliver of moonlight streamed through the gap in the curtains. As she drank a soft drowsiness washed over her, and she soon sank into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**Daniel!**

**I ran at the wall! It didn't work at first, I think something was blocking it, but then Charity fixed it and I ran through and there was a hidden train station on the other side! It was INSANE, there were owls and cats everywhere and I THINK I saw a goblin. I made some friends on the train and I'm in the same house as them in GRYFFINDOR. Apparently ravenclaw's the house for smart people, and I know you're a genius and all but when you get here you HAVE to be in Gryffindor with me.**

**There are two kids who got into trouble because they drove a FLYING CAR to school (the wall didn't let them through either). Everyone in the common room was cheering them for it, and some patted me on the back too because I punched another kid on the train (before you say anything he's a bullying prat). I didn't get into too much trouble, mainly because I hadn't been sorted into a house yet so they couldn't take off any house points.**

**WAIT till you see the Great Hall. There are floating candles and the ceiling is ****encanted** **enchanted to look like the sky and the FOOD magically appeared out of nowhere on our plates and the FOOD IS AMAZING. And there were ghosts at dinner. I'm not kidding. REAL ghosts. There's this ghost called 'Nearly Headless Nick', because someone tried to behead him but didn't do it right so his heads still attatched to his body on this little ghosty flap thing. And when we got off the train there was a giant and he took us to the school on these boats across a lake and I think I saw a tenticle. And all the portraits in the castle MOVE and TALK to us and there's a painting of a fat lady guarding the door to the Gryffindor common room and you have to give her a password to get in.**

**There's way too much to tell you, I'm sure I've missed something out. I really wish you were here Daniel, I can't wait to show you everything. I've borrowed another girl's owl, and she said he'll hang around so you can write a reply and send it back with him so PLEASE write back quickly I want to know if you're ok, and how'd it go in Mrs Peter's class? Let me know if she's being a bitch to you I'll send her some frogspawn or dragon dung.**

**Lots and lots and lots of love and missing you so so much**

**Eve XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

* * *

_**Eve!**_

_**I'm so jealous, have you actually talked to a real ghost?! How many ghosts are there at Hogwarts? Are they all people who died at Hogwarts? Like did someone try to behead Nearly Headless Nick AT Hogwarts? Are they haunting the school or something, or just kind of hanging around? Can you see through them? What does a ghost feel like if you touch it? Or do they not like that? I'm guessing it might be rude.**_

_**Also, does the ceiling change with the weather? What happens when it's raining, does everyone get wet? I can't believe I have to wait a whole year, do you reckon I'll be allowed to visit? I can't wait to get out of Mrs Peter's class, it's only the first day and I can't stand her. She talks to us really slowly like we're babies and she's useless. She marked two words in my spelling test wrong, but I checked with Lucy next to me and she'd spelt them the same way as me but Mrs Peter had marked them right and she got mad at me when I tried to tell her.**_

_**I can't wait to start learning magic instead! I spent all day at school and after practising in secret, but it's not the same without a partner! What are the lessons like? Can you do any cool new tricks yet? Is it the same doing magic with a wand?**_

_**I really want to write more but the owl is making a lot of noise and Ms Winter wants to know what's going on, so I better hurry up and finish. Please write back ASAP. I miss you loads!**_

_**Lots of love,**_

_**Daniel**_

_**xxx**_

_**P.S.**_

_**I can't believe you've already punched someone. Actually I can. What did he do?**_

* * *

"That's a lot of books you've got there".

Eve looked up from the page she was reading. Charity smiled down at her, clutching a pumpkin pasty in one hand and a large bundle of rolls of parchment with the other. She set the rolls down on the table next to where Eve was sat, surrounded by stacks of books she'd pulled off the library shelves.

"Hi Charity!" Eve grinned, marking her page. She'd not really seen Charity since King's Cross, except for passing her a few times in the corridors while rushing to her lessons. Navigating the massive castle was still proving to be a nightmare, and Eve and Ginny had already found themselves on the complete opposite side of the school from where they were supposed to be three times in the past week. It didn't help that Eve couldn't resist stopping to gawp at the moving portraits along the way. Some of their occupants were more patient with her curiosity than others – one Tudor wizard received a scolding from his apologetic neighbours after he'd snapped at Eve to 'Fuck off'.

"Come on Eve, what have I told you? While we're in school it's Professor Burbage, not Charity".

"Sorry, Professor"

Charity winked at her and broke off a piece of the pasty. "Here - help me eat this quick before Madam Pince disembowels me and I'll forgive you".

"Deal". Eve glanced to check if Madam Pince was looking and took the pasty. The crow-like librarian had insisted on checking Eve's hands for 'grubbiness and filth', grabbing them roughly in her own skeletal hands before letting her so much as touch a book. Even then she'd tailed her for a bit with her eyes narrowed suspiciously until a short outburst of giggling from the other side of the library called her attention, letting Eve look through the shelves in peace. Eve had never been much of a reader, but even she had to admit a little inward leap of excitement at the sight of the library. Running a finger along the thick leather volumes, marked with obscure runes and other mysterious symbols, Eve grinned as she imagined Daniel's reaction. His eyes would be as round as plates.

"How's your first week been?" Charity asked, carefully cleaning away a few incriminating crumbs. "I heard you've been having a bit of trouble with wand magic?"

Charity's smile was kind, but Eve squirmed in her seat. Her first lesson that week had been Charms, where they were supposed to be levitating a feather. Eve had swished and flicked and uttered the phrase 'Wingardium Leviosa' with everyone else but to little effect. She'd eventually stopped and held her wand thoughtfully for a moment, turning it over in her fingers. She'd been nervous picking the wand out in Ollivander's shop. There'd been a comforting warmth in her hand when it chose her, but it had since begun to feel faint. Besides, waving a wand and reciting a spell felt very different to the way she'd practised magic with Daniel…

"Professor Flitwick said you put your wand down in class and tried to levitate your feather without it. And without saying a spell either" Charity said slowly, eyeing Eve's reaction.

Eve shrugged. "It worked. It just wasn't as good as the others". She'd felt many pairs of eyes staring at her as she placed her wand down on the desk and concentrated fiercely on her feather, picturing it rising and willing it upwards. At first a few people seemed mildly impressed when the feather finally rose up a few centimetres – there'd even been a flash as Colin excitedly whipped out his camera. That is until everyone else's attempts with a wand finally started to work, sending a flock of feathers hovering high above their heads and making Eve's feather look pitiable in comparison.

"And they laughed?" asked Charity.

"Yes".

"And that's why you started shouting at them?"

"Yes".

Charity sighed. "You really do lose your temper far too quickly".

"I know", Eve grumbled. "Professor Flitwick told me. And Professor McGonagall". By the time McGonagall's detention had come around she and Eve already had a lot to talk about, much to McGonagall's visible annoyance. In addition to the disaster in Charms Eve had managed to top it with a confrontation in her second Transfiguration lesson, by which point she was the sole person in the class who was yet to achieve any magic using a wand. Zacharias Smith had been quick to point this out.

"One boy said I was a stupid muggle who didn't know how to use a wand". Eve complained angrily. "And he laughed at my pens too".

"Eve, it's not unusual to go through your first week without successfully casting a spell", Charity reasoned patiently. "Most of your classmates definitely haven't mastered any".

"But I haven't managed to do anything yet!"

"You're not going to like this, but stubbornly insisting that you can't do wand magic definitely isn't helping you", Charity asserted, earning herself a mutinous glare. "You are very quick to abandon things you don't immediately get the hang of. First the quill, now this".

Eve opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't think of a defence. With a twinge of annoyance she could see Charity's relief that Eve had instead settled for sullen silence.

"Professor Flitwick was actually impressed you know" Charity continued, attempting to placate her. "Nonverbal magic is pretty advanced; they only really start teaching that in sixth year. And even then they're using a spell, not just thinking about what they want to happen".

"Then why is it a problem if I do it now?" Eve retorted stubbornly.

"Eve." Charity's voice was gentle. "We use wands and spells for a reason. Wands help you to focus and channel your magic, and that plus the wand's core makes your magic more powerful. It's no wonder you struggled to raise the feather higher than your classmates. And even in parts of the wizarding world where wands aren't traditionally used, like where my Nan's from, people still use spells. It's a lot easier and quicker to translate your intentions through language".

"I… I guess that makes sense" Eve relented, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"There's nothing wrong with you getting used to a different method before starting Hogwarts. The teachers here aren't calling you stupid when they try to teach you a different way, they just want to help you develop your magic to the best of your abilities."

Eve nodded and bit her lip, thinking for a moment. "Can I still have a go at practising the other way though? In my spare time?"

"Absolutely, if you want. But I do recommend that for now you just focus on getting the hang of wand magic. Ok?"

"Ok".

"And no more losing your temper with teachers or classmates".

"We'll see".

Charity groaned and chuckled to herself. "Well that's a start at least!"

She beckoned again to the staggering pile of books on the table next to Eve. "That really is a lot of books you've got there, surely you don't have that much homework already?"

"Oh this isn't homework". Eve replied, lifting up the book she was reading to show Charity the title. "I'm looking up the name Lestrange."

The smile on Charity's face fell sharply like the drop of an axe.

"Eve" she started quietly, but Eve quickly interrupted her.

"The Sorting Hat knew who I was" she continued, watching Charity closely for her reaction. "It called me Lestrange, and it said it knew my mother! So my parents were definitely wizards, and they were definitely at Hogwarts-"

"-Eve"

"-So I thought if I looked up old family trees-"

"-Eve, who else have you talked about this to?"

Eve faltered at the urgency in Charity's eyes.

"I-"

"Who else?" Charity's repeated anxiously, her voice lower than a whisper. The library around them was quiet, aside from the hushed chatter of a few third years reading by the window a few metres away from them. Across the room carried the distant hiss of Madam Pince berating a group of girls for talking.

Eve's heart hammered. "No one" she said truthfully, lowering her voice to match Charity's. "I haven't even written to Daniel about it yet. I've not mentioned the name Lestrange to anyone, you told me not to".

Charity closed her eyes in relief. She leaned forward in her seat, looking exhausted, and started chewing her lip. Eve hesitated for a moment, waiting for a boy who'd just entered the library to pass them by, then plunged forward with her question. "Why is it a secret? You said you'd find out what you could, and that when you did you'd tell me…"

"Eve I still need you to-"

"-Trust you". Eve's eyes prickled slightly and she looked reproachfully at Charity. "You knew they were wizards, didn't you? You could have told me. What else aren't you telling me?"

In Charity's eyes she could see a million thoughts conflicting rapidly and she held her breath, feeling that maybe… maybe this time... "Eve" Charity finally spoke. "I need you to forget this for now." She swallowed and looked Eve firmly in the eye and repeated what she'd already said to her back in Diagon Alley. "I promise you I will tell you everything in time, but until then you have nothing to worry about".

* * *

It wasn't till she'd made her way back to the Fat Lady's portrait that Eve realised she didn't have her school bag. "Dammit" she muttered to herself, debating whether she should head back. When she left the library she'd been so consumed with frustration at Charity that she hadn't noticed her bag was missing. She'd plodded her way down the corridors, resisting the urge to kick Mrs Norris, who'd meowed suspiciously after her. It was painfully clear now – though she probably should have come to the realisation sooner – that Charity was never going to give her an answer.

"Are you going to give me the password or not?" the Fat Lady asked impatiently. She'd apparently been in mid-conversation with her friend, a skinny woman in a frilly purple dress who'd crossed through the painting's frame to join her, and was now tutting in annoyance at being kept waiting. "Alright" Eve grumbled, deciding she'd just get her bag on the way down to dinner later. "_Contrafibularities_".

The portrait swung forward, and Eve clambered through the hole into the Gryffindor common room, where a large fire crackled in the stone fireplace. Glancing around for a flash of red hair, she caught sight of Ron and Harry playing exploding snap in deep red armchairs in the corner of the room, while Hermione sat nose deep in a book next to them. Ron and Harry's moment of glory following their stunt with the flying car had quickly crumbled with the arrival of a furious Howler from Ron and Ginny's mother, whose scolding had furiously echoed across the Great Hall for all to hear, and for all to laugh at. The two boys had been ashamed – Ginny had been mortified.

There was no sign of her friend anywhere. Scanning the common room twice, Eve went up to Ron. "Have you seen Ginny?" she asked him. The boys looked up from their game, and Eve's eyes automatically glanced at the lightning scar on Harry's forehead. Ginny had filled her in on the whole story behind it, all the while blushing more furiously than Eve had seen her so far. Eve figured that, if she were the sort to nose into other people's diaries, she'd probably find Harry's name popping up in Ginny's frequently.

"Erm" Ron glanced around the common room. "Not here… I think she's in her dorm?"

Eve nodded, she supposed Ginny didn't seem to hang around much in the common room. Not since the Howler.

She jogged up the spiral staircase, and sure enough Ginny was sat on her bed, her red hair trailing forwards as she wrote religiously in her diary.

"Hi Ginny"

Ginny jumped slightly, taken by surprise. "Oh. Hi". She hastily snapped the diary shut. "Um, where were you today?"

"Sorry – I was looking something up in the library, for Daniel, you know? He had questions in his letter". True to her word to Charity, Eve hadn't told Ginny anything about the name Lestrange. It was frustrating though, Ginny was from a wizarding family, so there was a chance she might recognise the name.

To her alarm Ginny's eyes seemed a bit red. There was a guilty twinge in her chest - she hadn't meant to leave Ginny alone all day while she was in the library.

"What's wrong?"

Ginny bit her lip, looking down at her diary morosely. "Vicky and Demelza" she mumbled under her breath.

Eve scowled. Aside from Vicky and Demelza being among those laughing the most during the feather fiasco, they'd taken a particular interest in discussing not only the Howler, but also Ginny's school robes and books. For the first time in her life Eve had been able to get all her school stuff brand new using the money Charity gave her from the school fund, but a lot of Ginny's school things were second-hand and looking worse for wear. Her copy of _The Standard Book of Spells: Grade One_ hadn't lasted one lesson before its cover had fallen off.

"What did they say this time?" Eve demanded fiercely, but Ginny just sighed and shook her head. Eve swallowed, thinking. "Want to put some frog spawn in their beds?" she suggested, trying to cheer her up. "Practice for when we get Malfoy?"

Ginny smiled wearily, but didn't seem too enthusiastic. "It's alright" she said, climbing out of bed and screwing the lid back on her ink pot. "Shall we go down to dinner? I'm starving" she continued, more brightly, signalling she wanted to change the subject.

"Yeah, me too" Eve relented, smiling back. "Can we stop by the library first though? I left my-"

She stopped, her eye suddenly catching sight of her bag on her bed. Eve blinked, confused. She was certain she had it in the library…

"What is it?" Ginny asked, following her gaze curiously.

"I- sorry I thought I'd left… but it's here…" Eve picked up her school bag and unzipped it. The book she'd been reading in the library was inside, the corner of the page she was on still folded over.

"Did Charity- Professor Burbage, did she bring my bag up?"

"Huh?" Ginny shook her head. "No, no one's come in, it's just been me".

Something stirred in Eve's chest. She frowned, studying the bag for a moment, then placed it slowly back down on the bed.

"Never mind" Eve shook herself, and turned to Ginny. "Let's head down".

"One second". Ginny scurried over to her bed to grab her diary, and tucked the small black book safely under her pillow.

* * *

_**1981**_

_The baby's mother was restless._

_She didn't hold the baby much, and when she did it was uncertainly._

_As though the child were made of paper._

_Sometimes, some quiet moments, she'd just stare at the child in the cot, her wide eyes flushed._


	4. Chapter 4: The Writing on the Wall

The next few weeks passed in a blur. Between the layout of the castle, the content of her lessons and everything there was to learn about the wizarding world, Eve's brain was beginning to feel oversaturated. Moving photographs are made by developing them in a certain potion. Giants are real, but they're endangered and living hidden in the mountains of France. There are 3 different types of ball in Quidditch, and for some reason one of them flies around trying to knock players off their brooms in mid-air (Mum and Dad would never have let her play).

There was so much to tell Daniel. They'd had to start using one of the school owls to write to each other – borrowing Vicky's was definitely out of the question now. He was writing almost every other day, cramming as many questions as possible into his letters in his tiny print. Eve answered in as much detail as she could, often asking Ginny for help.

"So it's 17 Sickles to a Galleon, and 29 Knuts to a Sickle" Ginny explained patiently as Eve scribbled it down in her reply to Daniel.

"Why is it so complicated?" Eve grumbled, nonplussed. "We just do 100 pennies to a pound".

Daniel's letters also came with the assertion to be patient with magic. True to her word to Charity Eve had been trying to get to grips with using a wand. She'd made some improvements – she could levitate a feather at least. Still her mediocre attempts at spells put her at loss to explain how she'd previously been able to send a grown man flying down the stairs.

She was relieved to get to Herbology or Astronomy, where at least she didn't have to worry about using a wand. The same could have been said of Potions if it weren't for Professor Snape. He made no attempt to hide it – he definitely favoured you if you were pureblood or in Slytherin. In their first lesson in the dimly lit and strongly fumed dungeon Peter Vaisey had spilled some of his flask and left a sizzling burn on the table, yet it was Eve and Colin who had gotten into trouble for confusing wormswood and blackroot.

"I will not take new entry to the wizarding world as an excuse" Snape said in a snide voice, while Vaisey and Harper smirked behind his back. "I would have expected you to take it upon yourselves to catch up and familiarise yourself with your school books".

Despite knowing a great deal more about the wizarding world, Ginny had been particularly anxious in lessons. The mischievous grin Eve had seen on the train had barely resurfaced since the Howler, and Vicky and Demelza weren't helping. Vicky had made a point of noting how Ginny was the only one besides Eve who hadn't transformed her matchstick into a needle yet, and loudly asked her in the middle of the lesson why her copy of _Standard Book of Spells_ was covered in spellotape. Eve and Ginny had come back to their dorm the next day to drop off their potions kit before lunch, only to find the book lying flung on the floor, it's spellotaped cover freshly torn off.

"Right" Eve snarled, marching towards Vicky's trunk and grabbing her copy of _Standard Book of Spells_. Ginny watched in silence as she ripped off the cover and moved onto Demelza's trunk. "Here" Eve said, holding Demelza's book out towards Ginny. "Get your own back. Then let's head down to the Great Hall and pretend like nothing's wrong!"

Ginny stared at the book morosely. "Just leave it" she mumbled, downcast. She knelt down and picked up her book, it's tattered cover dangling by a shred of spellotape.

"We can't just leave it!" Eve protested. "They can't do that to your stuff!"

"It looked ridiculous anyway" Ginny shrugged. "And the spellotape wasn't really working. Look" she said, as Eve opened her mouth to argue further. "I just… I want to write a letter home. Just head down to lunch and I'll see you in Herbology later".

Her eyes were unusually bright. Eve bit her lip hesitantly. "Ginny" she started, moving towards her. "Look, I'm not hungry. I'll stay, and-"

"No. Thanks but… I just want to write home".

Eve knew that by 'write home' Ginny really meant retreat into her diary. Part of her wanted to drag Ginny down to the Great Hall, so Vicky and Demelza wouldn't have the satisfaction of knowing they got to her. But Ginny looked dangerously close to crying. Eve had always hated being caught crying in front of other people.

"Alright" she said gently. "Still, rip up Demelza's book at least. Do you want me to get you something from lunch?"

Ginny shook her head and gave her a weak smile. "I'm fine. There's the Halloween Feast later anyway".

* * *

Eve and Ginny had come down to the Great Hall that morning to find it had been specially decorated for Halloween; the floating candles had been replaced by hundreds of Jack-O-Lanterns that emitted a warm orange glow from their toothy grins. Above them the murky clouds churned, promising another deluge. Eve spent the past week's relentless downpour instinctively craning her neck up at the ceiling, still half-expecting the giant raindrops to come crashing down on them while they ate.

Deciding she wasn't really hungry either Eve decided to skip lunch in the Great Hall and head to the library, hissing at a prowling Mrs Norris along the way. Despite Charity's attempts to dissuade her she'd still been combing the shelves for any mention of the name Lestrange. Never in her life did she think she'd spend so much time in a library.

"Hi Luna" Eve said as she passed her, nose deep in a book by the magical creatures section. "What are you reading?"

"Oh, hello Eve!" Luna said brightly. "I'm just looking for a book on Snorkacks, there don't seem to be any in this whole library!"

"Really?" Eve tried to sound as sincere as possible. Luna's belief in Crumple-Horned Snorkacks had been the subject of much sniggering by the other first years. Having just learnt about the existence of Puffskeins and Erumpents herself, Eve wasn't sure she was in a position to judge. There was definitely something… dotty about Luna, but she was a lot nicer than Vicky and Demelza.

"It's a big library, there's bound to be something" Eve continued encouragingly. "Er, do you where I'd find books about old students?" She'd very quickly lost patience with scanning old family trees. "I don't really want to ask Pince".

She said Pince in under a whisper – as if saying it any louder might accidentally summon the demon from wherever she was prowling.

"There's a history of Hogwarts section somewhere over there" Luna said thoughtfully. "There might be something".

"Thanks – see you at the Feast!"

Eve wandered over to where Luna had pointed. Glancing along the shelves her eyes landed on a line of thick and very dusty albums. Perfect.

Clambering onto a stool, she reached up and heaved three heavy books off the shelf, buckling slightly under their weight. Hauling the first book open, she found her enthusiasm dwindle very quickly. Scanning the pages was long, tedious work. Her concentration slipped, drifting to the heavy downpour rattling against the windows, before shaking herself and returning her gaze to the dense pages. By the second book she started impatiently flicking through it. This would be so much easier with Charity's help she grumbled inwardly.

Eve was just thinking she should probably head to her next lesson when with a jolt she caught a flash of the word 'strange'. Heart hammering, she hurried back to find the page.

It was a photograph of a group of students, all smiling and laughing at the camera in black and white. In the centre stood a large man with a thick moustache, his lavishly embroidered waistcoat straining tightly over his stomach. The text underneath the photo read: _'Left to Right: Augustus Rosier, Walden Avery, Professor Horace Slughorn, Tom Riddle, Radolphous Lestrange'_.

With a leap of excitement in her throat Eve eagerly searched the photograph, finally latching eyes on a skinny boy with pale skin. Breathing heavily, Eve peered closely at the boy. His hair was dark like hers, though not as curly. Judging by the date he must have been her grandfather.

Next to him stood another pale boy with jet black hair. Eve found her eyes drawn to him. While he wasn't directly in the centre of the photograph, the other students, including her grandfather, seemed to orbit around him. He was handsome, but there seemed to be something cold in his eyes as he smiled charmingly for the camera.

Glancing up at the clock Eve realised she was late for Herbology. She hurriedly tried stuffing the heavy book into her bag, before giving up and racing out of the library with it tucked under her arm, accidentally bumping into Neville on her way. "Sorry" she called back over her shoulder, before turning a corner and crashing into – Draco Malfoy.

"Oi!" he swore angrily. "Watch where you're going mudblood!"

Eve tried to ignore him and barge past to get to Herbology, but at either side of Malfoy Crabbe and Goyle blocked her path. The three of them towered over her, grinning stupidly. She scowled up at them. "Piss off Malfoy".

Malfoy sidestepped her attempt to duck around them. "What you reading, Squeak?"

"None of your – Hey!"

Goyle yanked the book from under her arm and threw it to the side with a large thud without a glance at the title. Eve resisted moving to pick it up, clenching her fists. Ever since their first meeting on the train Malfoy had been attempting to cover his embarrassment at getting decked by a first year by tauntingly calling her _Squeak_ whenever he passed her in the corridors. She didn't mind much when she was with Ginny and therefore under the watchful eye of Fred and George, but she'd been having the uncomfortable sense that Malfoy was waiting to get her on her own.

Malfoy smirked. "I think" he said delicately. "You should apologise, Squeak. For not watching where you're going".

"What?"

"These just came out of the laundry you see" he said, theatrically tugging at the front of his robes. "And now they've got mudblood on them".

"Say mudblood one more time and I'll break your nose again" Eve growled.

"Big words Squeak" sneered Malfoy, reaching into his pocket. "Why don't you try using your wand this time?"

He dangled his own wand mockingly in front of her. From the glint in his eyes it was clear Malfoy knew she could barely muster a simple spell.

"Fine" Eve spat, drawing her wand.

"Let's see what you can do then" Malfoy drawled. "Though from what I hear, you're basically a muggle. Honestly, what's the point of letting your lot in if you can't even-"

Malfoy yelped as Eve charged forward with her wand and jabbed him in the eye.

"MISS HUGHES"

McGonagall's voice cracked like a whip. She was marching down the corridor towards them, her square spectacles flashing furiously. Neville jogged behind her, his round face anxious.

McGonagall quickly checked Malfoy, who was clutching at his eye and whimpering piteously. "Hospital wing" McGonagall said. "Now. You two, take him".

Crabbe and Goyle hurriedly led Malfoy away as McGonagall rounded on Eve, who braced herself.

"You realise you could have blinded him!" she bellowed in outrage. "How dare you – 30 points from Gryffindor – Absolutely inexcusable-"

"He drew his wand first!" Eve shouted back. "And he called me a mudblood again!"

"Whatever Mr Malfoy said does not give you an excuse! Did he _force_ you to attack him?"

"Yes" Eve answered irritably.

"I'll have none of that cheek! You do not attack other students! You should have come straight to me, as Mr Longbottom did, and I would have dealt with Malfoy accordingly! Now" she continued. "I am going to the hospital wing to check on Mr Malfoy. You will go to my office and wait for me there. You will be spending the rest of the day in detention".

"But-"

"And you will be reporting for detention after class next week as well" McGonagall finished curtly, silencing her protests with a warning glare. Eve stared solemnly after her as she turned and left, her footsteps echoing around the corner. There was an awkward silence.

"I- I'm sorry" Neville said nervously, not meeting her eye. "I saw you in trouble and… I was just trying to help-"

Eve sighed. "It's alright Neville" she said miserably. "Thanks for, you know… Thanks".

"I would have stayed and backed you up if I could" Neville added, stammering slightly. "I er, I'm just not much use in a fight. Plus, Crabbe and Goyle are-"

"Huge". Eve nodded. "Seems I'm not much use in a fight either, not with a wand anyway".

"Well, sending Malfoy to Madam Pomfrey twice in two months isn't bad" Neville grinned, reaching down to pick up her book and handing it over to her. "Glad I got to see it this time!"

Eve grinned, but felt a pit in her stomach as she thought about detention. "Can you let Ginny know where I am?" she asked him. "Looks like I'm going to miss the Feast". _Really shouldn't have skipped lunch_, she thought grimly.

Neville nodded. "Of course. And don't worry about McGonagall. She's strict but she's fair, usually".

He smiled at her reassuringly, and she managed a small smile back. Tucking the heavy book under her arm again, Eve glumly made her way to McGonagall's office.

* * *

_"Ammi says you're in trouble"._

_"Go away Farah"._

_"She says you're in trouble too Eve"._

_"Alright Farah"._

_Eve and Saleem had been sat outside the headteacher's office for hours. After the tired Mr Woodward had finished shouting at them in his office he'd sent them to wait outside 'in silence'. Across from them had sat Billy O'Neill, glaring at them in his wet trousers before his mum arrived and the two of them had gone into Mr Woodward's office. Not long after a furious Amira Iqbal had arrived, with Saleem's little brother and sister Sajid and Farah in tow. Shooting them a furious glance that promised to deal with them later she followed the O'Neills into the office._

_"Where's my Mum?" Eve asked Sajid glumly._

_"She couldn't come. She had to take your grandad to hospital"._

_"What?" Eve sat up. "What happened?"_

_"I dunno" he shrugged. "Ammi says he'll be fine though"._

_When Eve had told Saleem about her prank on Billy he'd eagerly asked if he could join in, offering to be her lookout. Except when he turned up to the changing room he'd been holding a handful of very sticky brown mud, suggesting that they take it a step further._

_Amira finally came out of the office. "I am disgusted with the pair of you" she hissed, her eyes flashing in outrage._

_"We didn't do anything" Saleem said quickly._

_"Don't lie to me!" Amira scolded. "You were caught smearing mud over another boy's trousers!"_

_"He called me a-"_

_"-I don't care what he called you!" she said, wagging a finger. "I never want to hear about you doing anything like this again. And you Eve-"_

_She turned to Eve, who steeled herself._

_"Your mother has enough on her plate without you bullying other children"._

_"It wasn't bullying!" Eve protested._

_"Don't interrupt me! You humiliated that boy. After everything your mother's going through, especially now your grandad-"_

_"What happened?" Eve pleaded. "Is he going to be ok?"_

_"I told you not to interrupt me!" Amira sighed, tired. "He's absolutely fine. He had some trouble breathing but he was alright by the time the ambulance arrived. They took him to hospital anyway just to make sure"._

_Eve breathed an inward sigh of relief. Grandad hasn't been the same after Uncle Tariq died. Not long after the funeral he had a stroke, and while he mostly recovered his memories had since started fading and he needed constant looking after. Mum spent all day taking care of him, and Amira did what she could to help._

_Meanwhile Dad was fast asleep in bed. He was working nights at the docks as a security guard at the moment, so he had to sleep all day. He'd done all sorts of different jobs over the past few months. Some only lasted a few days, and there'd be a couple of weeks between them where he helped with Grandad at home till he could find another one. Eve liked the ones where he was working during the day best, so she could see him after school._

_"Hello Evie" he'd smile wearily, ruffling his hand through her curly hair that so closely matched his own. Eve had once thought Dad was where she'd got it from. "Grab us a brew, eh?" Eve would make a mess in the kitchen, accidentally splashing milk over the table top while Dad went upstairs to change out of his work clothes. His last job had been at a building site – which was at the boarded-up textiles factory on her walk home from school, so she'd been able to wave to him - and he often came home with his clothes dusty with chalk._

_But if anyone asked her if Dad was at work she was supposed to say no. Mum told her to pretend Dad was helping Uncle Ray while he was sick, even though they hadn't seen him since the funeral. The last they'd heard he was somewhere down in London._

_Eve and Saleem hopped out of their seats and trailed shamefaced behind Amira. Just outside the office door Amira stopped, and turned to them again. "Now" she said, holding up a finger at them threateningly. "Billy and his mother are inside talking to Mr Woodward. Both of you will apologise-"_

_"No way!"_

_"You're kidding!"_

_"No arguing! You will both apologise to Billy and you will apologise properly!"_

_The office door swung open. Mrs O'Neill marched out, dragging Billy by the hand. At the sight of them she started walking quicker, nose in the air._

_"Mrs O'Neill" Amira said, grabbing Saleem's hand and following her. "I am so sorry for my son's behaviour, I promise you I will not be letting him off easy. Now, Saleem and Eve-" she threw a warning glance at them "-both have something to say-"_

_But Mrs O'Neill continued as though she hadn't heard her. With a sniff she pulled open the door and strode out into the playground, Billy trying to cover his muddy arse as they went._

* * *

Eve was starving.

She'd waited for ages in McGonagall's office for her to come back from the hospital wing. Bored, she tilted back in her seat and watched as the rain continued to drum against the window pane. The downpour that week had slowly turned the grounds outside into a muddy swamp, sending students skidding on their way to the greenhouses. Eventually there'd been a small pop and a squeaky voiced house elf had appeared out of thin air, wearing a starched white towel with the Hogwarts crest on it.

Eve had sat up, eager to finally see a house elf, marvelling at its large bat-like ears and eyes as round as orbs. The elf announced in a high-pitched voice that Professor McGonagall had to return to her class after she'd finished seeing to Malfoy in the hospital wing, and that Eve was to sit in silence and wait. Eve passed the hour flicking through the heavy album from the library to see if there were any other photographs of her grandfather, before McGonagall finally arrived, shouted at her some more, and set her lines.

The sky had darkened outside, and Eve wished again she hadn't skipped lunch. The parchment in front of her was blotted with ink – McGonagall had insisted that she write 'I will not attack other students' using a quill instead of a pen. Taking a break to flex her dully aching wrist her thoughts strayed to the library book lying on the floor next to her bag.

She felt a twinge of guilt, not for Malfoy (obviously) but for her excitement when she found the photo. Her other grandad was currently in a care home, unable to recognise anyone, barely aware that his daughter and son-in-law were buried in a cemetery only ten minutes away.

Eve tried to tell herself that she was just curious – and who wouldn't be? – but her heart stirred at the idea that maybe the boy in the photograph was still alive. Maybe she had other relatives out there, in the wizarding world.

Based on Charity's warnings to keep her name hidden, Eve was certain that the masked men had known who she was, and that was why they had come for her. Could they have been the Lestranges' enemies? Why did they try to kidnap her, not kill her like they did Mum and Dad?

Eve glanced up and saw McGonagall watching her, a flicker of concern on her stern face. She must have looked troubled. Hastening to write down the next line the silence was suddenly interrupted by a particularly loud growl from her stomach.

McGonagall sighed and waved her wand. To Eve's relief a large plate of sandwiches appeared.

"Eat" McGonagall said. "I think it's about time we wrapped this detention up for tonight".

"Thanks" Eve mumbled, gratefully reaching out for a sandwich and trying not to stuff it in her mouth immediately.

McGonagall watched her bemusedly as she ate for a moment, then nodded her head towards the album on the floor. "You seem interested in past students?" she asked.

Eve shrugged. "Just curious I guess" she lied through a mouthful of sandwich. "I er, I have a friend at home who has a lot of questions about, everything really. He's starting Hogwarts next year".

"The friend you practice wandless magic with?" McGonagall said with a slight smile.

Charity had told her. Eve blushed. "Yeah, he's better at it than I am". That was an understatement.

"Whatever the results, it's impressive. I'm glad you're trying with your wand though".

"I'm rubbish at both".

"Since you're still in your first few weeks at Hogwarts, I'm inclined to disagree with you". McGonagall reached across the desk for the parchment and sighed at Eve's messy attempts with a quill. "As for our detention next week, we might spend that time doing something a little more productive than lines. Like transfiguring a matchstick".

"Really?" Eve swallowed her sandwich. Needing extra lessons was a bit embarrassing, but she supposed having them under the guise of detention wouldn't be too bad. "I… thanks, Professor".

"Don't let it give you any ideas regarding the seriousness of this situation though" McGonagall added more sternly. "I don't want any more fighting. Or you can go right back to practising with a quill".

Eve considered McGonagall for a moment. The first night at Hogwarts she suspected McGonagall knew something. The slight look of surprise on her face when she'd heard the name 'Eve Hughes' had seemed a bit strange. McGonagall was a lot stricter than Charity, but there was something a little more no-nonsense about her. Maybe she'd give Eve answers if she asked.

Before she could say anything, there was a muffled eruption of shouting from the corridors. Eve glanced from the door to the clock on the polished mantelpiece. The feast would be over by now. "Back to Gryffindor Tower, Miss Hughes" McGonagall said quickly as she hurried out of her office to see what the commotion was about. Grabbing a handful of sandwiches and stuffing another one in her mouth, Eve followed her to the scene.

* * *

"Ginny?" Eve pushed past Vicky and Demelza, ignoring their affronted protests as she scrambled up the spiral stairs to their dorm. "Ginny! Did you hear what happened?"

There was no sign of Ginny in the dorm. "She wasn't at the feast" Demelza said, following Eve into the room, Vicky trailing behind her.

The curtains on Ginny's bed were drawn aside, her bed still neatly made from this morning. Eve was about to head back to the common room when they heard a splash coming from the bathroom.

"Ginny!" Eve pushed open the door as a startled Ginny turned off the tap. "Did you hear what hap- Hey, what's wrong?"

Ginny looked pale as a ghost. Blinking uncertainly, she glanced down at her hands. The cuffs of her sleeves were wet from the tap.

"Why weren't you at the feast Ginny?" Vicky called over Eve's shoulder. "Were you hiding?"

"Are you crying in the toilet Ginny?"

"Shut up Demelza" Eve snapped. She looked back at Ginny in concern. "Are you okay Ginny?"

"I- I don't know". Ginny's voice was very quiet, and she was trembling slightly. "I was walking down to the feast… What happened?"

"Someone attacked Mrs Norris!" Vicky blurted out, excited the deliver the dramatic news. "She's been strung up and frozen outside Moaning Myrtle's toilet, and someone wrote 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened: Enemies of the Heir Beware' on the wall in blood!"

"Don't be stupid" Eve scoffed. "It was probably just paint. Someone just cast Petriffy Totalus on Filch's dumb cat as a Halloween Prank."

"_Don't be stupid_" Demelza mimicked her. "If that's all it was then the teachers would have been able to unfreeze her _easily_."

Eve scowled. Demelza was probably right, but she was such a cow she was the last person you wanted to correct you.

"What is the Chamber of Secrets anyway?" Eve asked impatiently.

"It's a secret chamber that's supposed to be built somewhere in the castle, by Salazar Slytherin" Vicky piped up, bouncing to sit next to Demelza on her bed.

"One of the founders?"

"Yeah, my sister told me about it. There's this legend that says he fell out with the other founders over letting muggleborns into the school, so he built a chamber and hid a monster in it, and the legend says that one day his heir will find it and use the monster to get rid of all the muggleborns."

"What?" It sounded like Malfoy's fucked up idea of a story. "So by 'enemies of the heir' it means..?"

"Muggleborns" Demelza answered. "I'm fine though, my parents are both wizards."

"Demelza!" Vicky widened her eyes.

"What? It's not real."

"You were just saying a minute ago that it couldn't be a prank" Eve chimed in, earning herself a scowl from Demelza.

Still her heart hammered slightly. It probably was a prank, she told herself. One done by some evil prick like Malfoy, probably. Yet she couldn't help but feel a twinge of fear that someone would go to the lengths of writing threatening messages in blood. She'd seen stuff like that before, though not in blood, and not directed at her. It would be spray-painted onto the faded red brick that made up her old neighbourhood. Mum would walk past it quickly and try not to look at it, gripping Eve's hand tighter and pulling her along. "Not now Evie" she'd say, when Eve asked what the words meant.

Ginny had been silent this whole time, a muddled and confused expression behind her eyes. Ignoring Vicky and Demelza, who were discussing the Chamber of Secrets and the identity of Mrs Norris' attacker with morbid enthusiasm, Eve approached Ginny as she sat quietly down on her bed.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sitting down next to her. "Is it about what happened earlier?" Eve added in a hushed voice, so that the other two wouldn't hear her. She privately wondered if Vicky had noticed her copy of _Standard Book of Spells_ yet.

Ginny shook her head, then nodded, then shook her head again. "I-" she started, frowning and looking back down at her hands. "I don't think I feel very well".

Her skin did look a bit clammy. "Do you want me to get a teacher? Or one of your brothers?"

Ginny hesitated, then shook her head, breathing slowly. "I think I just… need some air".

"You sure?" Ginny nodded. "Ok, I'll open a window?" Eve suggested. "And…" she racked her brain, trying to think what Mum used to do when she was ill. "I'll heat some water" she said. Mum would have added lemon, but she supposed sipping warm water would help settle her stomach.

Eve got up and headed over to the water jug and kettle, which were on a table between her and Demelza's bed. Sticking out her tongue at Demelza's back she went to pour the water, before her foot brushed up against something on the floor.

She looked down. The heavy library book, where she'd found the photo of her grandfather, was lying by her bed. In the excitement, she had left it behind in McGonagall's office.

* * *

_**1981**_

_Chaos rumbled in the footsteps of the guards outside._

_They didn't stay long._

_The mother stayed for a bit. Her eyes screamed silently as she stared at the door._

_Soon it was just him and the baby._


	5. Chapter 5: Book of Revelations

"You better watch out, Squeak" sneered Malfoy as he passed her and Ginny in the corridors. "They went for the squib first, now they've moved onto mudbloods".

"Shut it Malfoy" snarled Ron, hurrying over to Ginny. Behind him Hermione and a gloomy-looking Harry scowled at Malfoy, while the other first years in the queue watched hesitantly. Malfoy smirked, raised his eyebrows at Hermione, and sauntered towards the dungeons for Potions.

"Couldn't jab that prat in the eye again could you?" asked Ron, glaring after him.

"Ron!" Hermione warned half-heartedly. "Don't listen to Malfoy" she added to Eve. "He's just trying to scare you".

"It's alright". Eve tried to shrug nonchalantly. "He keeps saying it. Mostly just annoying now."

Malfoy hadn't passed up on any opportunity to gleefully hint that Eve and Hermione should leave Hogwarts before the chamber monster got them. Him along with many Slytherins. The first time Neville had attempted to muster a retort on Eve's behalf, until Malfoy scoffed at him: "Not scared, Longarse? I would be if I were half a squib".

The whole school was on edge. At first, when it had just been the cat, the majority of students just took the events of Halloween to be a prank. Most had also been inclined to laugh off the story of the Chamber of Secrets, but the bloody message that pretty much said 'Die Mudbloods Die' had certainly shaken many muggleborns. After Colin first years began moving in packs between lessons.

"Are you alright Ginny?" Ron asked, looking concerned. Over the past few days Ginny's brothers had taken to checking on their little sister at every chance they got. Ginny nodded her head hurriedly. The crowd of students pushed Ron, Harry and Hermione along towards the dungeons after Malfoy, Ron twisting his head back anxiously at his sister.

Eve glanced at Ginny, who had been looking peaky ever since Halloween and had recently started to look worse. After Colin was attacked the whole situation felt a lot more real. Whatever Charity's reason for keeping 'Lestrange' a secret, Eve was starting to wonder whether she might be safer revealing she wasn't actually muggleborn. None of them had seen Colin, but they'd heard he was frozen like a statue in the hospital wing, his eyes widened in terror at whatever had attacked him.

Ginny was a pureblood and hadn't really known Colin much, but she wasn't taking it well. Last night Eve had woken up from her usual nightmare, which she was having more and more frequently lately. Sometimes another mysterious mug of hot chocolate appeared, sometimes it did not. That night it hadn't, but as the memory of the silver-masked man swam before her eyes Eve realised that she wasn't the only one awake.

"Ginny?" she called softly into the dark. There was a sniff behind the curtains. Eve clambered out of bed and tiptoed over so as not to wake the others. The floorboards creaked as she passed the window. Winter had settled fast upon the Hogwarts grounds and a frosting of ice gripped the glass, fragmenting a faint sliver of moonlight into the dorm. In it Ginny looked as pale and sickly as ever, her eyes red from crying.

"Are you ill?" Eve asked, worried. "I'll get a teacher-"

Ginny shook her head. "I'm not ill, I'm just…" she wiped her eyes and breathed out heavily. "Just a bad dream". The corner of her diary poked out from under her pillow.

"Don't worry about Colin" Eve said. "Professor Sprout said he'll be back to normal once the mandrakes are ready, and then he can say who attacked him, so it won't happen to anyone else".

Even as she said it Eve felt like she was trying to reassure herself as much as Ginny.

The topic of blood status was now cropping up all over the place, with students speculating how safe their blood status made them. Malfoy had of course contributed to the discussion by boasting about how old and respected his family name was, belonging to something called '_The Sacred 28_'.

"Of course, somehow the Weasley's made it onto the 28" he drawled from the Slytherin table across the Great Hall, getting dirty looks in response from the Weasley twins. "But I doubt the heir of Slytherin counts blood traitors".

A few weeks later, with the Christmas holidays approaching, Eve stumbled across this so-called '_Sacred 28_' in the library, having finally relented and started flicking through boring old family trees again. In the current climate she hadn't really found the right time to ask McGonagall, never mind fruitlessly badger Charity. McGonagall had still been helping her with transfiguration – she could now successfully turn a matchstick into a needle – and a very worn-out Charity still smiled and chatted to her in the corridors. But they steered clear of the subject.

The library was more full than usual. The heavy rain had given way to sharp cold blizzards that violently whipped against any student braving it outside, so most Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures lessons had been cancelled. Pulling down a leather book on wizard families from the shelf, Eve soon spotted 'Malfoy' midway down the '_Sacred 28_' list. "Sacred" Eve muttered scornfully. "Sacred prick".

She was just turning the page to look at the longer list of other, less sacred family names when she glanced back at the list again. Her heart skipped a beat. There it was. Halfway down the list, a few names above Malfoy. _Lestrange_.

Eve stared at the name for a moment, and shut the book, glancing wildly at the shelves. There was a set of books she'd ignored earlier. _Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy_. The books were high up; dusty and untouched. One of them had almost fallen off the shelf and onto her head while she'd been looking up there before, though she could have sworn she hadn't touched it. She'd put in back, not knowing what 'genealogy' meant. Quietly moving the ladder so as not to alert Pince, Eve clambered up and grabbed the most recent edition from the end.

The introduction predictably matched the pompous title, whoever wrote it had slathered with adoration over the '_Sacred 28_'. Eve swallowed, not sure she'd like what she was going to find. She flicked through the pages and found a family tree, dated 1978. The name Lestrange had been elaborately printed alongside other names near the top of the page, a tiny coat of arms next to it. Underneath the family tree showed the six most recent generations.

_Radolphous Lestrange, born 1926_. This was the boy from the photograph, her grandfather. And beneath were two sons, Rabastan and Rodolphus. Only one of them was married, to a Bellatrix Black.

Bellatrix. Her biological parents were called Rodolphus and Bellatrix. Thank God they'd only called her _Evelyn_.

Her heart was thudding frantically, beating a heavy bruise against her chest. She had their names. _She had their names_. She could find out who they were, where they were, if they were alive…

Eve's eyes felt hot. She thought of Mum and Dad again, and the guilt twisted painfully like a knife in her gut. They'd raised her, and for all she knew this Rodolphus and Bellatrix had abandoned her. Maybe she was searching for relatives who didn't even care or want her.

Eve sat in silence for a while, hastily wiping her eyes. She looked back at the family tree. Rabastan. Another uncle. Eve flicked the pages, looking for her mother's surname 'Black'. Underneath another coat of arms, and a motto '_Tourjours Pur_', she saw her mother's name again. And next to her mother was a sister, an aunt Narcissa. Everyone in this family has weird names. Her aunt was married, she saw, and scanning over to her aunt's husband she felt her stomach plunge.

She stared in horror. She must have read that wrong. Lucius Malfoy. _Malfoy_. Fucking Malfoy. Eve slowly closed the book, struggling to process the information. Was that Draco Malfoy's father? The grey-eyed man from Knockturn Alley? That prick was _related_ to her?

The library suddenly felt very cramped and tight. She needed some air. Weeks of searching for scraps and now a sudden flood of information from one ugly book. Grabbing the book she scrambled up the ladder to put it back. What did this mean about her parents then, the sort of people they were, if they were related to _Malfoy_?

Eve shuddered at the idea of Draco Malfoy being her cousin. She stumbled through the library, lost in her thoughts. The blizzard outside was getting heavier, the wind crashing and whistling past the castle. Over the howling she could dimly hear raised voices behind the shelves.

"I don't care what sort of blood you've got!" rose a furious voice. "Why would I want to attack muggleborns?"

"I've heard you hate those muggles you live with"

"It's not possible to live with the Dursleys and not hate them. I'd like to see you try it".

The owner of the voice stormed out, not looking where he was going, and collided with Eve. He had been going so fast she staggered backwards and crashed into the desk, scraping her back.

"Ow!"

"Sorry!" Harry Potter winced and helped her up. Behind him a group of Hufflepuffs peered over from where they were sat to watch.

"It's alright" Eve took his hand and got up, rubbing her back with her other hand. "Thanks".

"I'd watch out around him if I were you!" a Hufflepuff boy with blond hair warned her loudly, narrowing his eyes at Harry.

"Are you serious?" Harry snapped at him, his face going red with anger. "That was an accident!"

"Oh yeah? Like how you _accidentally_ sent the snake after Justin?"

"Come off it" Eve scoffed. "The snake was already going after Justin when Harry stopped it".

The previous day hundreds of students had flocked to the Great Hall for Lockhart's duelling club, eager to learn how to defend themselves against the chamber monster. Full of new-found confidence over her recent successes in transfiguration, Eve managed to convince Ginny to come along with her, eager to practice with her wand. Unfortunately they were split up and paired separately with Vicky and Demelza, and Eve quickly realised her confidence was unfounded.

After being disarmed by Vicky for the fifth time without managing to get her back once, the class crowded to watch Harry and Malfoy face off each other. The appearance of a fanged, spitting snake had sent students tripping backwards – Vicky let out a shrill scream and finally dropped her wand. Professor Lockhart's inept intervention only disoriented and enraged the snake, which furiously shot towards Justin Finch-Fletchley, it's long, thin fangs bared. Eve stared transfixed in horror at the snake, until a strangled hissing sound startled her and snapped her attention towards Harry. The strange hissing was coming from his mouth. Somehow he made the snake stop.

A familiar shuffling from behind the shelves informed Eve that a certain demon was rounding on them, in search of who had disturbed the peace of her library. Eager not to get caught in her claws, Eve nudged Harry and ducked around the shelves. Harry followed her out of the library, leaving Pince to descend upon the Hufflepuffs.

"Thanks" said Harry when they were in the clear of Pince's wrath. "Er, sorry for knocking you over".

"It's fine" Eve insisted. "Sorry about everything people are saying". Vicky and Demelza in the dorm last night seemed convinced in the rumour that Harry was the Heir of Slytherin, even though he was very clearly friends with Hermione Granger. Ginny didn't seem eager to get involved in the debate, but Eve loudly argued that there were plenty more obvious candidates – her money was on Malfoy.

Students had been muttering about Harry in the corridors all day, insinuating that Voldemort had murdered his parents and tried to kill him because Harry secretly had dark powers. Eve felt a pang of sympathy for Harry. It was different for him, being only a baby when his parents were murdered, but she'd had her fair share of having to listen to people gossiping about her parents' deaths back at the children's home. Most of the rumours concerned her being supposedly crazy. That idiot Lucy had gone as far to suggest that Eve had killed them herself.

"Do you really hate your family? The Dursleys?" she asked in concern, nodding her head towards the library to incline she'd overheard his conversation with the Hufflepuffs.

"My aunt and uncle don't really like magic much" Harry said quickly. He stiffened slightly, it was clear he didn't like talking about it. "You're Ginny's friend?" he added, recognising her. His expression softened. "Ron – you know, her brother – he said about your parents…"

Eve nodded. "Yeah. They died over a year ago. I'm in a children's home".

"I'd rather that than the Dursleys" Harry muttered gloomily under his breath. "I'm sorry".

"It's better than living with my gran too." Eve gave him a sad grin. "She hated my parents, definitely doesn't want anything to do with me".

"Do you have anyone else?"

Eve thought briefly about the disturbing revelation from '_Natures Nobility_' and pushed it to the side. "My Grandad's got dementia. There's my godmother, she used to invite me to tea a lot, but she couldn't affor- I mean I can't really talk to her about any of this anyway". She gestured to the castle around them. Eve and Daniel had been given very strict instructions about who they were allowed to mention the wizarding world to. Her Mum's friend Amira was not among them. "What about you?"

Harry shook his head, and he tensed at the sight of Filch passing them in the corridor. The hunched caretaker shot a filthy scowl at Harry and shuffled along, looking lost and morose without his cat.

"He's probably off to see Pince again" Eve joked, seeing the grim look on Harry's face and trying to lighten the mood.

"What?" Harry blinked in surprise. "Pince and _Filch_?"

"Trust me, I've been in the library a lot". Filch had looked so despondent since the events of Halloween that Eve felt a bit sorry for him, but she couldn't help but snigger a bit at the simpering expression on Pince's face whenever Filch limped hopefully into the library.

Harry glanced in bewilderment over his shoulder in the direction Filch went and let out a surprised laugh. They snorted for a moment over the idea of Filch and Pince kissing.

Eve found she kept glancing at the scar on his head. It felt rude to stare, but there was something about the jagged lightning bolt that drew her eyes unconsciously to it. Ginny had said Voldemort's attack had left the scar on him when he was a baby. There had been no marks at all on her parents when they were murdered - that was why the baffled muggle police had insisted they'd died of natural causes.

"Harry" she said slowly. "Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer if you'd rather not…"

"What is it?"

"I know you were only a baby, but do you remember anything? About the night your mum and dad died?"

Harry swallowed and shifted uncomfortably. At first Eve thought he wasn't going to answer. "I can remember a flash of green light" he said finally, looking down at his feet. "But that's it". Harry glanced up and stopped, seeing the look on her face. "Are you okay?"

"That's how my parents… there was a flash of green light and-" Eve stopped herself. She hadn't told anyone else at Hogwarts about the night her parents died. Not even Ginny.

Harry frowned. "Your parents were killed by wizards?"

The question seemed to reverberate off the stone walls around them, which felt closer and tighter than ever. Eve thought about Charity's warning, about the Lestrange family tree, about Malfoy and the Sacred 28 and the menacing writing on the wall. A strange dread crept up the back of her neck. "I was wondering" she heard herself saying quietly. "If it had anything to do with-"

They stopped at the sight in front of them in the corridor. The dark pearly-grey shape of Nearly Headless Nick hung suspended in mid-air, his head dangling limply from his neck. Below him lay Justin Finch-Fletchley.

* * *

_The dress was a little too big. Eve glanced down at the white shoes on her feet, the matching starched-white socks tucked neatly over, with dainty lace frills on the edges. Mum had spent the night before with a needle and thread, adjusting the Communion dress so it fit better around her shoulders, and had been very clear with Eve that she was not to get any stains on the dress or scuff the shoes. In 20 minutes they were due at the church, where Eve knew Mrs O'Neill in particular would be waiting to make a comment._

_Eve flattened the skirt nervously as Mum did the finishing touches to her hair. "There! You look beautiful Evie" Mum said, planting a kiss on her head. She did it the way she used to when Eve was little, back when she was small enough to sit on her lap. Mum would kiss her head right on the parting, nuzzling her nose into her curls, while Eve squirmed and giggled._

_Eve bit her lip as she looked at her reflection. At the expensive dress. Mum and Dad didn't know she'd overheard their argument. After Dad had bought the dress a strange anxiety descended over the house, crackling like static. Mum busied herself with Grandad and getting Eve ready for school with an almost feverish urgency, while her eyes seemed distant and troubled. One time Eve had caught snatches of her conversation with Amira next door, glancing up from her game with Sajid and Saleem to spy on the two women as they spoke in undertones in the kitchen._

_"He won't say where he got it from" she heard Mum's voice._

_"But you know?"_

_"Of course I know". Under the pretence of moving to include Farah, who was clutching her doll and watching their game shyly from a distance, Eve edged closer to the kitchen._

_"He's a bloody fool" Mum moaned softly. "It's not worth it – it'll take ages to pay the man back"._

_Since the argument Dad had spent most days out of the house, leaving early in the morning and coming back long after Eve had gone to bed. The house was chilly, so Mum would tuck her in with two pairs of socks and a jumper over her pyjamas. From her room she'd hear the front door open and the tired mutterings downstairs, before the muffled creak on the staircase as Dad tried not to wake her on his way to bed. Eventually, with her Communion approaching, the house seemed to settle slightly, as though some of the cramped air had gently been released._

_"Where's Dad?" Eve piped up._

_"He's downstairs with Grandad" Mum answered, tucking a curl behind her ear. "He can't wait to see you in your dress! Are you ok Evie?" she added, noticing Eve's expression._

_Eve swallowed silently. "Saleem's going to laugh"._

_"Never mind Saleem". Mum bent down so she was eye level with Eve and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Are you sure you're ok? You look a bit peaky"._

_Now wasn't the time to ask her. Instead Eve chewed her lip. "Gran isn't going to be there is she?"_

_Mum sighed. "Probably not. We'll both have to be on our best behaviour if she is though, yeah?"_

_"Even if she isn't?"_

_"Especially if she isn't" Mum said drily. "Pinky promise?"_

_Eve rolled her eyes at Mum's outstretched little finger. "Mum, that's babyish"._

_Mum raised her eyebrows in amusement and laughed. "Come on, let's head out"._

_Outside the house Dad was talking to Amira, hands on Grandad's wheelchair. When he saw Eve in the dress he beamed. "Look at you Evie!" He let out a low wolf-whistle._

_"_Dad_!"_

_"I'm afraid that's what dads are for Evie" Mr Iqbal chuckled, holding up his camera while Saleem and Sajid smirked behind him at the sight of her in a dress. "Let's get a picture of the four of you in front of the house"._

_Dad rolled Grandad next to Eve. He smiled vacantly at her from his chair, and she grinned back at him._

_"Saleem!" Amira snapped. "Stop making faces!"_

_"You too Evie" warned Mum._

_Eve glanced up at Dad, who winked at her._

_"Say cheese!"_

* * *

Despite Eve being able to provide an alibi, the accusations against Harry following the double-attack had gotten worse and increasingly angry, so he and his friends were avoiding the common room. Which was for the best, since no one else seemed particularly keen to leave the safety of Gryffindor tower. In the last few days before the Christmas holidays it was almost impossible to squeeze through the common room, never mind claim one of the squashy armchairs by the fire. Some whispered and muttered grievously among themselves, discussing who had done it and who would be attacked next, while others, like Fred and George, let off steam the best way they knew how.

In the centre of the room the twins and Lee Jordan were entertaining a crowd with their Exploding-Snap-Card-Castle-Building competition, with collapses occurring less from the exploding cards and more from their increasingly frantic construction-work. Eve watched Lee balance precariously on a chair, egged on by the crowd around him. His card castle currently majestically dwarfed the twins', and he pumped his fist triumphantly as he successfully placed two more cards at the top.

She lingered to laugh as the cards exploded in his face and sent him toppling into Fred, before packing up Snape's evil Potions essay to join Ginny upstairs, figuring she was probably embroiled in her diary again. The common room was too noisy for her to get anything done, and she couldn't bring herself to concentrate on Potions anyway. She was desperate for a moment to breathe and think clearly about everything. At least it wouldn't be long till she could talk to Daniel about it.

"– I can't buy them all new on the Hogwarts fund".

Eve stopped in her tracks on the way to the staircase. Turning around, she saw a group of 5th years huddled around a table in the corner, watching two of their friends playing Wizards Chess. Eve hesitated, then silently crept over to them.

"Lockhart's stupid books are too expensive" a boy with floppy brown hair said angrily to his friends. "I told him the money Hogwarts gives me doesn't stretch that far, but he wouldn't listen. Said I should have my own copy of all of them. But even second-hand ones cost loads".

Something whirred and clicked into place in Eve's brain. Upstairs in her trunk she had all of Lockhart's books, all unread of course. All brand new. All on the Hogwarts fund.

"He just got a job here so he could sell more books" the girl next to him said in disgust. "I don't know why Dumbledore hired _him_, we've got our O.W.L.s coming! He's a useless, scheming-"

A useless scheming what Eve didn't hear. She pushed past the students crammed into the common room, speeding to the portrait hole.

When she arrived panting at Charity's office the door was ajar. Eve paused to catch her breath for a moment, clutching a searing stitch in her side. Slowly letting out a trembling breath Eve knocked on the door and hesitantly peered around it.

Charity was at her desk, marking a teetering pile of essays. When she saw Eve she smiled.

"Eve! Come in, is everything alright?" Her eyes looked tired. Being the teacher who usually went to deliver the news of the wizarding world to muggleborns she'd had tearful students coming into her office all week. Eve knew she'd been particularly upset after Colin was attacked; her face had been sick with worry as she escorted a panic-stricken Mr Creevey to the hospital wing.

"Charity? I mean, Professor, can I ask you about something?"

"Of course" Charity put down her quill and Eve quietly closed the door behind her. "I-" she started, unsure how best to begin. "I-it's about the trust money".

Charity raised an eyebrow, looking confused and a little taken aback. "The trust money? What about it? Do you need more pocket money, to get a Christmas present for Daniel, or...?"

"That's not it" Eve cut in. "It's just that there's so much of it".

Charity froze.

"All my school stuff is brand new" Eve pressed on, moving closer to the desk. "I have new books, new robes, a new wand-"

"Oh, Eve, that's nothing to worry about!" Charity said, way too quickly and trying to keep her voice light. "Of course you need your own new wand!"

"And I need new books and new robes while everyone else on the fund has to get them second-hand?" Eve interrupted, heart racing anxiously. It stung, how stupid Charity thought she was. Eve could see the professor's mind scrambling to find its feet and realised with a pang that she was going to have to say it herself.

"It's my parent's money isn't it?" Eve blurted out. "I have more money because it's not coming from Hogwarts, it's from the Lestranges-"

Charity stood up urgently. "Eve" her voice was no longer light. "We've talked about this, about mentioning that name!"

"No we haven't!" Eve could hear her voice getting higher. "All you've said is to keep it a secret, but you won't tell me why!"

"There's nothing-"

"STOP TELLING ME THAT!" Eve was shouting now. "If there was nothing to worry about then it wouldn't have to be a fucking secret!"

"Miss Hughes!"

_Shit_. Professor McGonagall had heard the raised voices and was stood behind Eve in the door to Charity's office. She would probably dock her a couple of points for shouting and throw in a detention or two for swearing. Eve decided she was too incensed to care.

"What?" she responded angrily, nostrils flaring. McGonagall's glare told her she'd definitely crossed a line.

"Sit" she said tersely, beckoning to the chair in front of Charity's desk. Fuming, Eve threw herself down on it, resisting the urge to kick the table and avoiding both teachers' eyes. McGonagall crossed the room and stood behind the desk next to Charity. "Now" she said. "You are going to tell me why you felt it was appropriate to bellow and spew profanities at a teacher".

"Profanity" Eve corrected through gritted teeth.

"What?"

"I only swore once".

"In that case" McGonagall said simply. "One profanity equals one detention".

Eve shrugged and didn't look up. She was fed up with them. Fed up with all the secrets. "Can I go now?"

Charity began to speak, affronted, but McGonagall held up a hand to halt her. "Not until you explain to me why you were shouting".

"It doesn't matter".

"Clearly it does".

"No it doesn't" Her throat was tearing up. "Because apparently it's nothing to be concerned about, so I'm not getting any answers".

"If you want answers, then ask me" McGonagall said calmly. "What do you want to know?"

Eve studied her for a moment. She swallowed. "Why do I have to keep the name Lestrange a secret?"

McGonagall sighed and glanced at Charity, who gave her a helpless shrug. She turned back to face Eve wearily. "Do you wish to go by the name Evelyn Lestrange?" she finally said in a resigned voice.

"No" Eve looked down again and felt exhausted from trying not to cry. "I want to be Eve Hughes. I want my Mum and Dad. But you don't want me to know about the Lestranges, and that means it's something bad". There was no stopping it now, the tears were spilling over. "They killed them, didn't they? The Lestranges killed my Mum and Dad".

"No" McGonagall said softly, and Eve looked up to see her face pained. "We don't know who killed your Mum and Dad and the Ministry are still investigating… but it wasn't the Lestranges".

"How do you know?"

"Minerva" Charity warned, looking alarmed. "The Ministry, they-"

"-Know nothing about children" McGonagall grumbled. "I _told_ them, I _told_ Dumbledore. Forget the Ministry".

Eve's breath caught in her throat. Hot tears were running down her face and she made no effort to wipe them, watching McGonagall and waiting. Finally McGonagall looked her in the eye and said firmly "I know because they've been serving life sentences in Azkaban prison since you were a baby. As for why the Ministry wanted the name Lestrange to be kept a secret, even from you, the Ministry has reason to believe that making your identity publicly known could put you in danger".

**_1981_**

_The baby could throw tantrums as violently as her mother,_

_Snarling and shrieking from the cot like a rabid animal._

_But when she was calm she'd stare up at him peacefully, head cocked to the side in interest._

_He smiled as she gurgled, reaching out a pudgy hand towards him._


	6. Chapter 6: A Very Shitty Christmas

"Did you know who I was when we first met?" Eve asked Charity.

Eve had slept solidly for 14 hours on the sofa in the corner of Charity's office, waking up to find that McGonagall had allowed her to take the day off lessons. It was the last day before the holidays, so she wouldn't be missing out on much anyway. Snape's potions essay could wait till January.

Charity had joined her not long after she woke up, having finished her first and only lesson for the day – not many people took Muggle Studies. She brought with her two plates of bacon and eggs. Eve just picked at it, gloomily moving the food around on her plate with her fork.

Staring down at her plate, she half-listened as Charity filled her in on who the Lestranges were and how they'd been Voldemort's followers. The corridors outside throbbed with the festive rumblings of other students. Every now and then Charity had to politely hush away older students as they poked their heads in through the door to wish the Muggle Studies teacher a Merry Christmas, casting curious glances at Eve.

In response to Eve's question Charity closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Not till you showed me the birth certificate, I had no idea" Charity explained. "I immediately went to find answers, like I promised you, but the Ministry have been keeping it all under wraps. The first thing they did was make me sign all sorts of documents swearing secrecy – I'm so sorry Eve" she said regretfully, tilting her head to try and catch Eve's eye. "I promise I wanted to tell you, I didn't want to keep any of it from you".

She'd been apologising over and over again. Her eyes were slightly pink, and had deep shadows underneath them. Eve slowly put down her fork. "How many people know?"

"Dumbledore and McGonagall are the only other teachers. But I'm not even sure how you found out" Charity admitted. "The Ministry were surprised to hear there was even a birth certificate, they said there shouldn't have been one. That's why that ministry wizard came to question you. It seems they hoped to hide your identity from you until you came of age".

Eve frowned. "So where did the certificate come from?"

"I don't know. There's so much I don't know" Charity sighed. "I'm sorry Evie".

There was a whizzing outside the door as Peeves sped past, singing Christmas carols at the top of his lungs. Charity groaned and waved her wand at the door, immediately snuffing out all sound from the rest of the castle. The tiny office was suddenly unnaturally quiet. Eve silently watched the embers curling up in the fireplace, mulling things over.

"Why is it a secret though" she asked, confused. "Why would the Ministry go to so much trouble?" _And make things so bloody difficult for her while they were at it_.

Charity grimaced. "It's not a nice story".

"I'd rather hear it than imagine it" Eve tore her gaze from the fireplace and met Charity's eyes. Charity hesitated for a second, then nodded sadly.

"Of course you would" she said, relenting. "Your – your identity is being protected under something called the McKinnon's Act. Back when You-Know-Who was powerful, his followers they… they killed and hurt a lot of people. Most of those killed were muggles and muggleborns, but other wizarding families who defied him also lost loved ones…"

"My parents hurt people" Eve said, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

Charity's face was strained. "There was one case, the McKinnon's family… they were all wiped out except for the son. Eoin. I used to know his sister…" her eyes misted over. "He – he was tortured by You-Know-Who's followers. That and watching his family die… he wasn't the same afterwards".

Dread clutched Eve's chest. "Was it the Lestranges?"

"I don't know if they were involved, but the main culprit was a man called Travers. He's in Azkaban now".

"Then what does this have to do with me?"

"Travers had a son. Edwin, he was only 5 years old at the time. Eoin, he… I shouldn't be telling you this".

"Did he..?" Eve stared at her, horrified. "Did Eoin kill Edwin?"

"It was covered up as an accident. Eoin's been in St Mungo's psychiatric ward ever since". Charity's voice cracked, but she was trying to keep it steady. "I had no idea that was why he was there… I never would have believed it…"

Eve swallowed as the grim story sunk in. "So the Ministry thinks someone could try and kill me too, in revenge for something the Lestranges did?" she said, putting the pieces together. "That's why the masked men attacked, isn't it? That's why they tried to kidnap me?"

"I don't know – the Aurors investigating it are operating under tight secrecy" Charity explained. "It doesn't help that it sounds as though whoever tried to kidnap you was wearing a Death Eater mask".

"Death Eater?"

"It's what Voldemort's followers used to call themselves. It could have been Death Eaters, or copycats, or someone just pretending, maybe trying to throw the Aurors off. We have no idea yet if they were targeting you specifically, or if it was an anti-muggle attack that just happened to come to your house".

Despite her long sleep, Eve felt like there were heavy weights in her brain, dragging her down in exhaustion. There was so much to take in, and all she'd uncovered was yet more questions.

Eve's eyes rested on the plate of eggs and bacon still perched on her lap, which had gone cold.

"I'm sorry I shouted at you" she heard herself say in a small voice.

Charity moved to sit by her side. "It's ok Evie" she said gently. "Shout all you want. I think I gave you plenty to shout about".

Eve felt a twinge. It had been a while since someone had called her 'Evie'. She looked up at Charity gratefully. "Do I have a 'get-out-of-detention-free' card for shouting?"

Charity let out a small laugh. "Use it sparingly or McGonagall will be after my head". She gave Eve's shoulder a squeeze and sighed at the almost full plate.

"We can heat this up later if you're not feeling hungry now" she said, picking up the breakfast and moving it to her desk. "Here, I have some biscuits somewhere. And I'll put on some tea – or hot chocolate?"

Eve sipped the hot chocolate slowly. It was a lot milkier than the mysterious midnight hot chocolates she'd been receiving. She nibbled at the end of a biscuit, and gradually felt her appetite coming back.

"Is this why I wasn't sent to live with the Malfoys?" she asked, after her sixth biscuit. "Because of the McKinnon's thingy?"

"You know about the Malfoys?" Charity raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Of course you do…"

"I saw the family tree in the library" Eve grumbled.

"I take it you weren't thrilled to find out you're Draco's cousin?"

Eve shook her head vehemently. "Does he know?"

"I don't know how much any of the Malfoys know. They might not know you exist Eve, if the Ministry feared for your safety that's very likely. The Ministry is keeping very quiet about what happened when you were a baby, I don't even know who decided you would be adopted by a muggle family, or why…" Charity trailed off and studied Eve for a moment. "Do you want to contact them?"

"What?" Eve jerked her head upwards.

"Your aunt and uncle. The Ministry didn't plan on you learning your identity, but now that you know I'm sure they can't prevent it if you wanted-"

"I don't want to live with the Malfoys" Eve said quickly.

"You don't have to live with them. They're your relations, it would only be natural if you wanted to talk to them".

"I don't want anything to do with them" Eve insisted.

Charity's suggestion rang in her head as she passed her cousin in the corridor later, ignoring his comments as she headed down to the Great Hall with Ginny. And again the next day as he passed her by on her way to the hectic queue for the Hogwarts Express.

"Best get out quick Squeak" he jeered, trying to get a rise out of her. "The Heir of Slytherin will be after any strays".

She watched him slink away at the sight of the Weasley twins, her resolve deepening as he headed towards the Slytherin common room. She wanted nothing to do with the Malfoys.

* * *

The care home was doing its best to be festive for Christmas. Rows of paper decorations were strewn up across the ceiling, with little Christmas trees and snow men scrawled onto them in crayon by school children. A pair of tired nurses wearing cheery smiles bustled about the room, weaving in and out of the armchairs to deliver Christmas cards, reading them out to those too far gone to make out the letters. The younger of the two nurses gently prised an envelope out of the hands of one impatient old lady, whose trembling fingers were struggling to open it.

Grandad sat across from Eve, in his armchair by the window. Amira had picked her up from the children's home and given her a lift to visit him, telling Eve to go on ahead while she tried to park the car. The last time she'd seen Grandad he'd been so sunk into his chair he'd seemed to have merged into it, misery etched into the heavy lines of his face. Now he smiled – his sadness had been forgotten, as had much else.

"Do you remember this, _Naana_?" Eve leant forward, holding out a photograph. Before her parents died Grandad used to have bad days where he'd switch between English and Urdu without realising it, so Eve barely understood half of what he said sometimes. Now he babbled and made sounds that weren't recognisably from any language, but '_Naana_' seemed to get a better response than 'Grandad'.

Eve held the photo close to his face and pointed for him. "There look, there's Tariq. And my mum, Meenah? Tariq and Meenah?"

Grandad's eyes slid listlessly over the photograph, and his wide blank smile remained unchanged. Eve sighed. Perhaps if she had a photo from when Mum and Uncle Tariq were children he'd recognise them. Grandad didn't display any sign that he knew who Eve was, but he seemed to enjoy having company. All she had to do was put on a smile and nod her head as he jabbered, saying things like 'yes' and 'really?' and laughing when he started laughing as though he'd told her a joke. A painful lump grew in her throat as she watched him.

"Evie?"

Eve looked up, and froze. Stood nervously by the doorway was a man she hadn't heard from since she was eight years old.

She slowly rose out of the chair. "Uncle Ray?" she asked uncertainly.

The man approached her gingerly. His gaze hovered between Eve and her Grandad, who blinked in innocent curiosity at the new arrival from his chair.

A thousand emotions swept across her uncle's eyes as he searched for something to say. "I-" he started, swallowing back his words. "I- you've grown".

Eve waited in the silence for him to continue. "Yeah" she finally said. "It's been almost 4 years".

Ray flinched as though he'd been stung. "I'm so sorry" he croaked, avoiding eye contact. "Your Mum and Dad-".

"Why weren't you at the funeral?" Eve interrupted, her heart started pounding painfully. She was unable to hide the anger in her voice. "Where have you been? Why did you stay away? Mum and Dad, they were looking for you!"

"I thought it was for the best" he whispered. "I'm sorry".

Eve stared at her uncle, struggling to summon up past memories of him. She'd always remembered him in a long leather jacket, his thick hair sticking up in a short afro. He would come to visit with his arm around Uncle Tariq, winking at Eve and producing a packet of Chewitts or a Curly Wurly from his pocket. Now his hair was tucked under a woolly hat, and he was wrapped in layers of coats.

Eve slowly sat back down in her seat. Ray hesitated, then took the other chair next to Grandad as Eve continued to watch him carefully. His face was thinner than she remembered.

"Why are you here now?" she asked reproachfully.

"To see your Grandad" Ray nodded his head towards him. Turning in his seat he reached out to clasp the old man's wrinkled hand, which rested on the armchair, and gave it a friendly squeeze. "Hello Nadeem" he said warmly. "It's good to see you Gramps". Grandad blinked in curiosity and gave another unknowing smile. He nodded back at Ray and started to babble conversationally.

"He won't remember you" Eve said softly. "He doesn't remember anyone".

An odd melancholic look spread across Ray's face. His eyes landed on the photograph on the table Eve had been trying to show Grandad earlier. His jaw twitched, a ghost of a smile.

"Do you remember that day?" he gestured to the photograph. "You were very young…"

"I remember a bit". Eve was only 6 in the photo. In it she was sat on Dad's shoulders, arms wrapped around his head while he and Mum held up a Liverpool scarf for the camera. On the other side of the picture Uncle Tariq and Ray were pulling faces of mock disgust, waving their own Manchester United scarf.

They had gone to watch the match in the pub that day. Grandad and Mum had asked for a pot of tea for them and a coke for Eve, and Tariq pretended to try and steal her crisps while pointing at her increasingly drunk Dad and Uncle Ray. "What are those silly bastards doing?" he joked, making her giggle. "Is your daddy singing? Is your daddy being silly?"

"Oi! oi! oi! oi!" Dad had pointed in mock horror at Tariq and clumsily clutched Ray's shoulder. "Back me up mate, he's turning my daughter against me!"

"And he's sweearring" Ray gasped. "You do not swear in front of the little lady. Amiright Gramps?"

"You're quite right Raymond" Grandad said in amusement, sipping his tea. "Though I would also advise against drinking in front of the little lady".

"That's right Evie" Tariq winked, raising his pint of coke. "Just follow me and Mummy's lead".

"Well, follow my lead, not his" Mum whispered loudly into Eve's ear. Eve nodded and rolled her head back against Mum, nestling in her arms.

The memory felt warm, peaceful. It had been a good day. "You told Uncle Tariq off for swearing" Eve recalled to Ray.

"I did?" Ray laughed. "Hah, I remember that". His eyes lit up in a quiet smile. "I remember you got bored watching the match. Meenah was going to take you home, but then Grandad picked you up, put you on his knee and started telling you a story, that old one about a princess that turned into a mountain".

Ray was looking at Grandad as he said it, his eyes elsewhere. It was though he was watching the moment play out right in front of them, a younger Eve being passed from her Mum to her Grandad while the pub roared around them.

Eve could almost see it too. "Mum said he changed the ending. Added a dragon".

Ray nodded. "The story didn't have a happy ending at first. Grandad didn't like seeing you upset. The gentlest soul you'll ever meet, your Grandad". He sighed. "He didn't respond too well when Tariq first told him about me… about as well as you'd expect, very religious man. Like my own. But Tariq always hoped he'd come around – no chance with his mother of course – but your grandad… made me feel like part of the family. Treated me and your dad like we were his sons…"

Eve sat still, listening intently to Ray. She hadn't heard any of this before.

"Your mum was just the same of course. Big heart, always good to me. If anything ever happened to her and Chrissie she trusted Tariq and me to be the ones to…" he trailed off.

"To be my guardians". Eve continued. Her chest tightened. "Could you?"

Ray shook his head. "I can't Evie. Even if I wasn't ill, they'd never allow it…"

"But uncle Tariq was supposed to be my guardian, and you were his-"

"You're a bright girl Evie, you know it doesn't work like that".

Eve fell silent, biting her lip. Exhaustion lined her uncle's face, weighed down on his shoulders. She noticed his movements, careful and stiff, as though conserving energy. He looked swamped in the bulk of his coats, which couldn't hide how thin he was underneath them.

"You're not just here to see Grandad" Eve realised. "You're saying goodbye…"

"Ray?"

Amira stood at the door, car keys trailing from her clutched hand. She looked like she'd seen a ghost. Ray immediately stood up as she approached.

"You stupid fool" she hissed. "Where have you been?"

"You've not changed". Ray grinned weakly.

"You're so thin. Where are you staying?"

"'Mira-"

"Come home with us" Amira insisted. She glanced at Eve. "I'll phone Ms Winter, we can have the two of you over for tea-"

"'Mira-"

"Raymond Knight don't be an idiot!"

Ray shook his head stubbornly. "I'm going back to London. Don't worry 'Mira, I'm not on my own down there. I just wanted to- I shouldn't have come". He placed his hands restlessly in his coat pockets and repeated. "I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry, I have to go. All my love to you, and Umar and the kids. Evie-"

He paused and fumbled for something from inside his coat. He withdrew a crumpled photograph and held it out to her. It was two children. The girl was no older than 7. She had her arm around her younger brother, who had a cheeky grin and messy hair. "Tariq gave it to me" he said. "I thought maybe you would… and your Grandad…" Ray struggled for words. "I'm sorry" he finally said. He thrust the photo into her hand and quickly left the room.

Amira made a move as though to follow him, but decided against it. Eve straightened the photo, the tightness in her chest evaporating into a strange hollowness. She turned to Grandad, and held the photo so he could see.

"Look Naana. It's Tariq and Meenah?" Eve said cautiously. She swallowed and hopefully added "Remember?"

Grandad looked at it in interest. His smile remained unchanged.

* * *

Amira and Eve sat in silence in the car. Eve rested her head against the window, watching her old neighbourhood roll past. After Hogwarts, home may as well have been another planet - everything was both familiar and alien at the same time. The children's home was in a different part of town, so even before she started Hogwarts it had been a while since these red brick streets had made up her world.

She used to visit more often – back when she and Saleem still went to the same primary school Amira would insist that she come around for tea afterwards. But after the summer term ended Ms Winter decided it would be best if Eve went to the same primary school as the other kids from the children's home, as it was closer.

"It's a nicer area as well" she'd said to a protesting Amira. "It would be a lot safer walking home after school".

Eve had jerked her head in irritation at that. What did Ms Winter think she was going to do, get into a car with a stranger?

"Also it might be best for her to get away from certain… influences" Ms Winter continued delicately.

Amira had straightened herself up and eyed Ms Winter coolly. "And what do you mean by that?" she asked in a calm, deadly tone. Eve was surprised when Ms Winter didn't immediately back down.

"Well I know Eve and Saleem have gotten into a _little_ bit of trouble together before, that incident with Billy O'Neill-"

"That was _my_ idea" Eve cut in. "Not Saleem's".

"They're all going to the same secondary school in a year anyway" Amira scowled. Amira was a dinner lady at the secondary school Saleem went to now. Mum had been too, before Grandad's stroke.

Eve hadn't minded going to the same school as Daniel, even if they did only see each other at breaktimes. But she did miss messing around with Saleem in lessons. And the Year 6 teacher Mr Simpkins was just the sort of relenting teacher who wouldn't think to split them up, as the much wiser Miss Johnson had done in Year 5. A part of her however was secretly relieved. During their walks home Saleem tried to be extra nice to her, steering away from the topic of her parents. He tried to talk about normal things, like football and Billy O'Neill. But the closer they got to his house, as the peeling dirty white paint on her old front door came into view next to Saleem's green one, the tighter her breathing got and the louder her blood beat in her ears.

So she spent her afterschool days practising with Daniel, and her visits became fewer.

The whole car journey Amira hadn't mentioned their encounter with Ray, but Eve could see a frown simmering behind her eyes. As they neared the children's home Amira broke the silence. "I'll tell Ms Winter you're coming back to ours today" she said, taking her eye off the road to throw a concerned glance at Eve. "You know we don't really celebrate Christmas, but I thought I could make a big dinner, and we could watch whatever film they're showing on TV after? I know Saleem's missed having you around…"

Eve swallowed. She barely knew what to talk to Saleem about anymore. With the Statute of Secrecy she certainly couldn't tell him anything about Hogwarts.

"Thanks but… I kind of promised to spend Christmas with Daniel. He hasn't got any family to visit and-"

"Daniel could come around too?" Amira suggested.

"He-" Eve hesitated. "Ms Winter might not let him".

Amira made a '_hmph_' sound at the mention of Ms Winter. The argument over Eve's school had cemented their mutual dislike of each other. The other social worker who ran the home was an older woman, who was nice enough and insisted that they call her Janey, but Eve found the younger Ms Winter severely irritating. So she was entertained each time Amira venomously referred to her as '_that woman_' under her breath.

"That woman still can't tell me anything about this school you're going to" Amira scowled at the road ahead. "I can't find any information about it anywhere".

"It's for problem kids", Eve intoned dully, dismayed that the topic had come up again.

"You're a handful alright, but you're not a problem kid!" Amira said incredulously. "I thought you'd be going to school with Saleem, but then suddenly you're packed off to this boarding school I've never heard of!"

This was one of the reasons it was easier to stay away from Amira than come up with a lie. She was impossible to bullshit. Especially when she got into full swing.

"What sort of children go there?" Amira interrogated her. "What do they mean problem kids?"

"It's not just problem kids, it's all sorts". Eve struggled to deflect her attention. "The teachers are nice-"

"I told Saleem to ask some of the other children from the home at school. You seem to be the only one going to this boarding school".

This of course meant that while Amira believed Eve had imagined her parents being killed by wizards, she also wasn't buying the autopsy report.

Eve watched her guiltily. Amira had been friends with her mum since they were kids. Now Eve had some answers about her death, but she couldn't tell Amira anything. And how would she say it anyway? _'Hey Auntie Amira, your best friend is dead because they adopted a baby that had psycho wizard murderers after her'_.

She wondered where they'd all be now if Mum and Dad had picked a different baby, if they'd been lucky enough to pass over the one that would bring masked killers to their doorstep. This other baby wouldn't have been driven to visit her Grandad by Amira – Grandad would be in his favourite chair at home with Mum and Dad looking after him. They'd be joined by the Iqbals who don't celebrate Christmas but aren't going to pass up the excuse to eat too much food and watch rubbish Christmas TV, and their nice, normal daughter would be playing with Saleem and Sajid and Farah without having to hide or even know about a world of potions, broomsticks and secret chamber monsters.

"There's something you're not telling me Eve" Amira said in concern, as the car pulled up outside the children's home. "Please, come over for tea".

Eve had been over last Christmas, a subdued attempt to be cheerful only a few months after her parents had been murdered. Her old house stood empty next-door to the Iqbals. Every tiny sound outside was a masked man approaching, peering through the windows to find her, drawing his wand on the unknowing family inside. A throb shot up her arm.

She shook her head. "I'm fine, honestly" Eve tried to give a reassuring smile. "I made a promise to Daniel. Thank you for giving me a lift".

"What's wrong with your arm?" Amira asked suddenly, as Eve reached out to open the car door.

"I banged it playing football" Eve lied quickly. She quickly hopped out and up the steps to the front door, turning to see Amira watching her from the car. Eve gave her a weak smile and rose her hand in a wave, and lingered for a moment as Amira sighed and eventually drove the car down the street and around the corner.

Eve quickly bypassed Ms Winter on her way in, going up the stairs two at a time and sitting on the top step. She rolled up the sleeve of her jumper to look at the bruises. The nightmare had come again last night, and ended as it always did, with Eve glued to the spot as her parents died before her magic finally revealed itself, a moment too late. She woke up to a searing pain in her arm, which was stretched out into the darkness, fingers splayed as though blasting back the masked man as she had in her dream. Gasping, she turned on the light to see a line of bruises had formed on her arm, throbbing slightly as she examined them. Since last night they'd turned purple.

"Eve?"

Eve quickly rolled down her sleeve and turned to grin at Daniel.

"Hey" he said, sitting down on the stairs next to her. "How was it?"

"Ok, I guess. Long story" Eve sighed. She was exhausted. "Come on, let's go to your room".

The second she'd gotten back from Hogwarts a week ago they'd wasted no time in running up to his room, barricading the door to keep Ms Winter and the other kids out. "I've got something to show you!" Daniel had said eagerly. They'd sat cross legged on the bed, and from his drawer Daniel picked out a pebble, like the one they'd first used to practice with.

"Watch" he said. He furrowed his eyebrows in a familiar look of concentration, only this time he also slowly raised his hand, palm facing the pebble. Eve watched as it began to tremble, and to her surprise Daniel uttered the spell 'Wingardium Leviosa'.

The pebble had shot upwards rapidly, bounced against the ceiling and fell down again, almost hitting Eve on the head. She let out a yelp of amazement, glancing up at the ceiling to see marks where the pebble had hit it before.

"That's fantastic!" she laughed in glee. "You've never got it that high before!" She wished she could still do magic outside of school, so she could give it a go.

"The spell made it much more powerful!" Daniel babbled excitedly. "It's difficult to control though, I can't make it rise steadily, but I've been practising. And look!" he went back to the drawer again and pulled out a matchstick. "I had to nick it from Ms Winter's cupboard. Taken me weeks to get right!"

Eve snatched it and looked closely at the tip. It was mostly still a matchstick, but the end had turned pointed and silvery. She couldn't help but feel a small stab of jealousy. Still she beamed at how far Daniel had come on his own.

"McGonagall and Flitwick are going to love you" she said. Eve hadn't told Daniel anything yet about the muggleborn attacks. Daniel was more passionate about learning magic than anyone she'd met at Hogwarts, except maybe Hermione. When she first got back she'd found that Daniel had already filled two flimsy exercise books from school with information and sketches on the wizarding world he'd compiled from her letters. The notes included jottings on his own experiments, such as how his distance from the pebble affected how high he could levitate it. Eve didn't want to ruin his excitement. Hopefully whoever was behind the attacks would be caught before Daniel's first year.

As they entered his room Eve noticed Daniel had already started a third notebook that morning, carefully copying down information about famous witches and wizards from the chocolate frog cards. While she'd been uncomfortable spending her 'trust fund' money, now she knew where it came from, she still decided to get Daniel a massive box of wizard sweets to try for Christmas.

"I didn't get a chance to give you your present before Amira picked you up" Daniel said, reaching under the bed. "It's not much…"

Eve felt herself go red. She knew Daniel didn't get a lot of pocket money from Ms Winter, so she hadn't been expecting anything back.

"Here" Daniel said, holding out a small but neatly wrapped present. "Merry Christmas!"

Eve opened it carefully rather than ripping it, as she normally would. Inside was a red woolly hat. On the front of it was an emblem of a liver bird, holding a branch of seaweed in its mouth. Dad's football team.

She gazed down at the hat, rubbing the fabric between her fingers. Daniel must have got her Dad's team from the photograph, the same one she'd been showing Grandad earlier. Tears began to prick in her eyes.

Daniel was watching her nervously. "Is it ok?" he asked in concern. "I didn't mean to upset you, I just thought-"

Eve silenced him by pulling him into a grateful hug.

* * *

_**1981**_

_The mother hadn't come back yet._

_He knew what he was supposed to do. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do it._

_The baby was so still when she slept, he could just about make out her breathing._

_He picked her up. It was time to leave._


	7. Chapter 7: We Need To Talk About Ginny

"Hit him with the chair!" Eve yelled excitedly, as the bishop clobbered the pawn and dragged him off the chest board. "Get in – move him there next Ginny!"

"Don't say it out loud!" Ginny groaned for the fifth time. Seamus realised his Knight was in danger and moved it to avert the Bishop's attack.

"Shit! Sorry!"

Ginny's mood had perked up a lot after the Christmas holidays. The colour was back in her cheeks and her smile had returned, joining Eve in passing notes about Vicky and Demelza on scraps of parchment in class and trying to hide their giggles from an irate Professor McGonagall. Anxiety about the attacks still hung in the air – and Malfoy making loud bets in the corridors as to who would be attacked next wasn't helping – but everyone was also feeling cautiously optimistic following Sprout's announcement that the Mandrakes were growing healthily and would soon be ready to make into a cure for everyone who'd been petrified.

Ginny and Eve were knelt by the table in front of the fire, locked into a frantic wizards chess game with Dean and Seamus, though Ginny and Seamus were doing most of the work. Eve was cheering from the side-lines and giving mostly unhelpful advice, her Liverpool hat from Daniel on her head. Dean saw it and immediately ran upstairs to grab his own West Ham hat.

"AND IT'S A GOAL FOR WEST HAM" he roared as their Knight took out another pawn.

"The two of you do realise chess has nothing to do with football, right?" Seamus rolled his eyes

"Neville!" Eve called as he came through the portrait hole. "Join our team!"

"No Neville come over here!"

Neville hesitantly studied the board and leant down to whisper in Ginny's ear. Ginny grinned and moved her Bishop to take the Knight.

"Ha! Take that!"

"Neville you traitor!"

Eve was spending increasingly more time in the common room with Ginny and Neville and had barely set foot in the library since her conversation with Charity. For once Charity was the one trying to bring the subject up to her while Eve was determinedly avoiding it.

Sometimes she'd pass the library and hover by the door. There was a whole section full of old newspapers there. If she knew more about the crimes the Lestranges had committed maybe it could give her a clue as to who would want to take revenge or try to kidnap her. But if they hated the Lestranges for supporting Voldemort, then why would they murder her Mum and Dad? Surely they'd be against harming muggles? Unless there was some other reason, perhaps some of the Lestrange's old Death Eater pals had come after her? They'd tried to kidnap her, so she was sure it wasn't a coincidence they'd come to her house. Maybe the Lestranges had snitched on them in prison.

Or maybe whoever they were they'd been driven insane, like Eoin McKinnon…

It was the story of the McKinnons that pulled her gaze away from the newspapers. After hearing it she wasn't sure she wanted to know what the Lestranges had done to earn life sentences in Azkaban. Over Christmas Daniel had taken her to the public library to translate her mother's family motto she'd found in _Nature's Nobility_. The translation '_Always Pure_' had churned uncomfortably in her stomach.

The silver-masked man visited her dreams every night now, his eyes shrouded in shadow. Each night she sat frozen while the green light engulfed her parents, until the replay finally ended with her arm reaching outwards. She woke up to find a scattering of more bruises on her arm, which she took care to hide under her sleeve. At least the mug of hot chocolate was often there to greet her. Eve wondered if maybe Charity was behind it after all, perhaps she was asking one of the house elves to keep an eye on her.

Harry, Ron and Hermione wandered into the common room as they came down to the last few pieces on the board. "Come on Ginny, you've got this!" Ron beamed as they approached, clapping his sister encouragingly on the back.

Ginny's cheeks tinged pink as she realised Harry was watching. Eve gave Ginny a gentle nudge in time for Seamus to make his next move, chasing after her Bishop. Refocusing her attention on the chess board, Ginny hesitated for a moment, chewing her lip. Her hand hovered over the pieces. Finally with a timid flash of a smile she moved her Knight to take the King.

"CHECKMATE!" Eve whooped, hopping up and taking her hat off her head, waving it around like a little flag. "TAKE THAT LOSERS!"

Ginny giggled at her celebratory dance as Seamus and Dean groaned. Ron joined Eve in jumping up and down, rubbing Ginny's head in congratulations.

"Nice one Ginny!" Harry grinned, and Ginny's eyes lit up at the compliment.

* * *

_**1977**_

_"Meenah!" Tariq ran up behind her and Amira and clapped her shoulder, the sleeves of his school uniform rolled up messily. "Hey, can you cover for me after school?"_

_"What?" It was a chilly February morning. The sun was struggling weakly behind the clouds, stretching across them in a thin, yellowish light. "No way, Amira's covering for _me_!"_

_"Yeah Meenah's studying at mine tonight, for the very important chemistry exam we definitely didn't make up" Amira remarked drily._

_"What!" Tariq protested. "That's not fair, I covered for you last Valentines. It's your turn to cover for me! We pinky promised!"_

_"You did a shit job covering for me last year!" Meenah retorted. "I got grounded thanks to you! Just tell Ammi you're playing football, she'll believe that!"_

_"Oh come on, we did a pinky promise! That's sacred!" Tariq chided playfully. "Come on, I'll clean your room?"_

_Amira nudged Meenah and pointed ahead of them. A tall skinny boy with a familiar mop of curly hair was waiting by the brick wall outside the school building. Christopher Hughes smiled shyly when he saw them approaching. Meenah felt her cheeks break out into a grin._

_Tariq blew a raspberry. "Go on to lover-boy then, don't mind me"._

_Meenah turned apologetically to Amira, who gave an exasperated smile and rolled her eyes. "See you in class then Juliet"._

_Meenah snorted and sped up to Chrissie. As she neared him her smile fell at the sight of the bruise on his face._

_"Chrissie…"_

_He shrugged weakly. "At least I have a great personality, huh?" he tried to joke._

_To anyone else he looked like he'd been in a fight. Meenah knew better._

_"She can't keep doing this" she said angrily. She pulled him around the corner into an alleyway, away from the prying eyes of other students. He winced as she raised her hand to his cheek, being careful not to touch the bruise as she studied it. "Can't your dad do anything about her?"_

_Chrissie sniffed. "Nah, dyings made him more of a dick than usual" he mumbled. "Just laughs at me. Says I should just hit her back"._

_"Maybe you should" Meenah said, biting her lip. She was tired of seeing him coming into school hurt. The teachers noticed, they couldn't fail to, but Chrissie would always stubbornly murmur some lie about getting caught in a fight after school._

_Chrissie shook his head. "I can't… she's getting worse but only because he's getting worse, you know? And our Matt, he doesn't understand what's happening, he's too young. I-" he paused and exhaled anxiously, steeling himself. "I just want him to die and get it over with. Is that bad?"_

_There was a quiet plea in his voice as he said it. Meenah sighed and gently touched the sleeve of his jumper. "No Chrissie, it's not bad"._

_"Mum would say I'm going to hell if she knew" he said quietly. After a moment he shook himself, trying to change the subject. "We still on for after school?"_

_Meenah swallowed, feeling they should probably talk about this further. But Chrissie's eyes desperately indicated that he didn't want to. "Yeah" she relented. "Amira's got us covered"._

_"I think I need to buy Amira flowers too at this rate" Chrissie muttered appreciatively._

_She laughed despite herself. "Don't worry, she pities us, says we're a charity case. Also, you bought me flowers?"_

_"Ah shite, that was supposed to be a surprise"._

_Meenah felt a painful twist in her chest as she looked again at the bruise. It was swelling into a sore shiny purple. Saying nothing she reached up and pulled him into a tight hug. Chrissie hesitated for a moment, and then buried his head into her shoulder. They stayed in that position, holding onto each other, until the shrill school bell rang._

_"Come on" Meenah said, as they parted. She took his hand in hers and interlocked their fingers gently._

_"Best not be late" Chrissie agreed, his eyes smiling at her gratefully. He broke into a grin and knelt down to pick up her bag off the ground. "May I take your bags, M'lady?"_

_Meenah snatched at her bag, laughing. "Give it here you daft prat"._

* * *

"Eve. I did something really stupid."

"Huh? What's happened?"

The corridors were strung up with pink love hearts, which let off a glittery shimmer as they passed underneath them. It was all part of Lockhart's Valentine's Day 'morale booster'. They'd entered the Great Hall that morning to see it so sickeningly decorated for the occasion it was as though a flock of bright pink butterflies had swarmed in, obscuring the pearly clouds above.

"I wrote a Valentine to Harry!" Ginny confessed in a whisper, her eyes wide in terror.

"What's wrong with- Oh shit please tell me you didn't use one of Lockhart's cupids" Eve groaned.

Lockhart had hired an army of disgruntled-looking dwarfs wearing grotesque sparkly wings to run around the school delivering Valentines, much to Professor Flitwick's distaste. Someone – Eve heavily suspected it was the twins – had sent one to Professor McGonagall, which she had taken surprisingly well.

"What am I going to do?" Ginny moaned in distress. "I don't know what I was thinking!"

"Come on" Eve turned on her heel. "Let's catch that cupid!"

Forgetting about Potions, they scurried through the corridors in a panic, trying to remember where Harry would be at this time.

Their footsteps echoed loudly on the stone floor as they crashed into a crowd of annoyed sixth years. They skidded around the corner, just in time to see the cupid tackling Harry to the ground, his school bag torn at the seams and his books scattered across the floor. _Shit shit shit shit shit_.

The two of them lunged forward but were too late. The goblin started to sing in a gruff, croaky voice. They stopped in their tracks, dread clogging their veins.

_"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,_  
_His hair is as dark as a blackboard._  
_I wish he was mine, he's really divine,_  
_The hero who conquered the Dark Lord"._

The corridor erupted into shrieks of laughter. Eve winced and glanced nervously at Ginny, who looked like she was about to throw up. She was grateful when Percy, who cast a pained, knowing glance at Ginny, hurried to move the crowd along.

"Come on" she said softly to Ginny, tugging at her sleeve. Behind her Harry and a gloating Malfoy had started up an argument about one of Harry's books. "Let's go".

But Ginny was frozen to the spot, eyes transfixed on the scene in horror.

* * *

Whatever confidence Ginny had gained since Christmas collapsed drastically following the Valentines fiasco. Harry didn't approach Ginny about it, and seemed to be doing his best to be nice to her, but he flushed as red as Ginny's hair if someone brought it up. Ginny endured Vicky and Demelza's teasing all week, until Eve snapped and earned herself a month's detention.

"I suppose it's just as well, your quillmanship is still in need of work" remarked a fuming McGonagall, after she'd sent Demelza along to the hospital wing with a heavy nosebleed.

Eve caught herself almost drifting off to sleep in these quill-practising sessions, which were either with McGonagall or Charity. She was only getting a few hours of sleep at night, usually waking up to find that Ginny was also up, back to devotedly writing in her diary. Between detentions, homework, letters to Daniel and her continued mediocre attempts at magic, Eve was exhausted.

Charity took pity on her when she was supervising detention, slipping her pumpkin pasties and occasionally letting her just have a nap. She used these detentions as opportunities to try to talk to Eve about the Lestranges, clearly regretting the way she'd handled things before Christmas and asking Eve if she had any more questions that were worrying her.

One day in detention a question finally sprung to mind. Eve fidgeted with the quill, chewing her lip. "Char- Professor?" she finally asked. Charity looked up from marking Muggle Studies homework.

"Ginny said the Malfoys used to support Voldemort too" Eve said slowly. "Why don't they need the McKinnons thingy?"

"Your uncle Lucius… he pleaded that he'd only spied for Voldemort because he'd been placed under the Imperius curse – it's a sort of mind control spell" Charity explained uncomfortably. "The jury found Lucius innocent. He hadn't been implicated in anything violent anyway, nothing that could give someone reason to want revenge-"

"Is he innocent?" Eve questioned, noting the barely concealed uncertainty in Charity's voice. It was clear from the way she talked about her extended family to Eve that Charity was struggling to balance being honest with being impartial.

Charity sighed. "I don't know. A lot of people were put under the Imperius curse back then, gave the Ministry a headache trying to figure out who was telling the truth."

"And Narcissa?" Eve added hesitantly. "Was she a Death Eater? Like her sister?" She refused to say '_like my mother_'.

Charity shook her head. "She insisted that she hadn't had contact with her sister for years when Bellatrix was arrested. Which is probably true. The Lestranges were wanted by the Ministry for a long time, they'd been in hiding. Again, Narcissa probably has no idea you exist. You can change your mind anytime, you know" Charity added gently, tilting her head to peer under Eve's downcast glance. "If you want to contact your aunt… to ask her these questions-"

"I don't want to" Eve said quickly. "Honest, Chari- Professor". She hastily picked up her quill and continued trying to write a sentence that wasn't a blotchy, inky mess.

Charity frowned. "Is your arm okay? That's a nasty looking bruise-"

"Huh?" Eve pretended she'd only just noticed it and tugged her sleeve down. "Oh yeah, I banged my arm against the desk in Charms".

As the weeks passed by spring gradually brought warmer, if drizzly, weather, and by the time Eve's detentions were finally over the students at Hogwarts had started to relax. There hadn't been another attack since Justin and Nick, and people were hopeful that whoever was behind the attacks had given up. Students had even stopped muttering at Harry in the corridors. Eve's birthday came and went with no fanfare aside from birthday wishes from Charity and Daniel – it was too close to the anniversary of her parents' murders for Eve to really look forward to it, much less mention it to anyone else. Ginny only found out when she saw Daniel's card.

Daniel had started to have many increasingly complex Transfiguration questions, and his last letter had been 5 pages long. On her way up the staircase to the dorm, having just delivered her reply from the Owlery, Eve considered just asking McGonagall if Daniel could write to her directly. Making a mental note to ask her in tomorrow's lesson, Eve entered the dorm to see Vicky and Demelza sat with their heads together on Demelza's bed. In their hands was Ginny's diary.

"Give that back!" Eve demanded in outrage.

"We just wanted a peek!" snorted Demelza as Eve stormed over to them. "To see if she's written any more love poems to Harry!"

"You _cunts_" Eve snarled, relishing the appalled expression on their faces. "Get your hands off it!"

"Merlin's beard, alright!" Demelza glared at her in shock. "There's nothing in it anyway-"

"It's her private diary" Eve shouted over her. "You have no right-"

"It's her private nothing" Vicky cut in. "She's not written anything in it. All the pages are blank".

"Huh?" Eve snatched the diary away from them. Narrowing her eyes at Vicky and Demelza suspiciously, she quickly flicked through the pages. Nothing. Just sheet upon sheet of empty, white paper.

_But Ginny was writing in the bloody thing all the time_, Eve thought, perplexed. "Must have got a new diary then" she said out loud.

Demelza snorted. "If you call that new".

Eve frowned down at the battered old diary. It looked the same as the one she'd seen before, though admittedly she'd not really looked at it that closely. Ignoring Vicky and Demelza, who left the room giggling, she turned to Ginny's bed to put it back.

She paused. There was a name at the front of the diary, written in faded ink. _Tom Marvolo Riddle_. Tom Riddle. She'd seen that name somewhere before. Eve racked her brain. Where had she seen that name?

As she held it in her hands she felt a strange sensation. It must have just been her imagination, but Eve could almost swear she could feel a faint pulse coming from the diary beneath her fingertips. A mild buzzing filled her ears, and she found herself slowly turning over the cover to look inside again-

"What are you doing?!"

Eve whipped round to see Ginny, who was staring in horror at the diary in her hands.

"It wasn't me" Eve said quickly in alarm, as Ginny swept across the room and snatched the diary out of her hands. "Vicky and Demelza had it, I was just-"

"Don't touch it!" Ginny held the diary close to her chest, breathing heavily. Her eyes looked raw and pink, as though she hadn't slept in days.

"But, it's empty" Eve said, nonplussed. "You've not written anything in it".

"You read it?" Ginny demanded urgently.

"I- there's nothing to read! All I saw was the old owner's name!"

Ginny moved clumsily to her trunk, frantically removing items and placing them over the diary, tucking it securely among her frayed school robes.

"I recognised the name from somewhere" Eve said hesitantly, peering around to see if Ginny was alright.

"From where?" Ginny snapped, shutting the lid of the trunk down with a bang and locking it. "The bloody library?"

Eve frowned, taken aback. "I've not been there in ages… Ginny are you ok?" Ginny was running her fingers through her hair, pacing and not looking at her. "Look, I'm sorry I spent so much time there, but-"

For a split second she could have sworn there was a glint of red in Ginny's eyes. Her heart caught in her throat. But when Ginny looked up her eyes were her usual brown.

"Just leave me alone" Ginny spat. "I know you're keeping things from me. All that rubbish about letters to Daniel – you've got your secret, whatever it is, but I don't care. And stop pitying me and pretending you care about me".

Her words slapped Eve speechless. She gaped helplessly after Ginny as she marched out of the dorm.

* * *

"Still fighting with your girlfriend, Eve?" Demelza said nastily at breakfast. It was a match day; the Great Hall was full of students wearing either red or yellow scarves. Excited buzz and chatter echoed off the walls, and above them the sun burned cheerily against a bright blue sky.

"Don't mind them" Neville said, seeing Eve about to retort. Gritting her teeth Eve resisted the urge and looked around the hall, scanning it fruitlessly for Ginny. Her friend had been avoiding her every day for weeks since their argument over the diary. She'd shift her bag to sit alone at a desk in the corner of the classroom in lessons, and snapped at Eve to go away whenever she tried to move next to her. Eve was hurt and confused by her friend's sudden hostility. She'd been keeping secrets from Ginny, and that hadn't been fair of her, but even then this seemed to come out of nowhere. Ginny was ignoring every attempt by Eve to talk to her, and wouldn't even respond to the simplest of questions. Eventually Eve also snapped and started shouting at her in the dorm, while Vicky and Demelza watched and smirked. She instantly regretted it when Ginny turned and silently drew the curtains shut around her bed.

There were constantly dark bags under her eyes – Ginny was having even worse sleep than Eve. After her usual nightmare Eve could hear Ginny tossing in her bed. She listened miserably, itching to say something, instead lying in silence and watching as the bruises continued to flower on her arm. There was no hot chocolate waiting for her anymore - there hadn't been for a while now.

"Would you like to watch the match with me?" Neville asked her, as the crowd started milling out of the Great Hall towards the Quidditch pitch. Ginny definitely wasn't among them.

"I don't really feel like watching the match" Eve replied glumly. Neville's face fell, disappointed. "I _would_ like to" Eve added quickly. "It's just I should try and find Ginny, I need to make things up with her".

"Oh, okay" Neville stood up nervously as Seamus and Dean got up to leave. "I'll er, let you know if I see her outside".

"Thanks".

Eve lingered in the Entrance Hall, watching Neville join the rippling sea of flags bearing roaring lions and snarling badgers. She threw a scowl at Malfoy as he passed, smirking at her from a group of other second year Slytherins. As everyone else spilled out into the sunshine the empty castle fell silent around her. Eve glanced up the staircase, her footstep echoing dimly on the marble. Ginny was probably alone upstairs in their dorm.

Clenching her fists Eve clambered up the grand staircase. If Ginny was there then she was going to confront her and force her to listen to her apology, sort this out once and for all.

At the top of the stairs she caught a flash of red hair whip around the corner. Ginny. Eve followed, her stomach fluttering nervously but determined to talk to her. She rounded the corner to an empty corridor. Faint footsteps hurried in the distance. It seemed Ginny was headed to the library.

A scream ripped the air. Dread shot through Eve and she broke into a run. "Ginny!" she yelled urgently, her footsteps clattering off the walls. "Ginny!"

She ignored the empty classrooms along the corridor, tearing past them in the direction of the scream. Heart pounding violently in her chest she turned the corner. There were two bodies on the floor at the end of the corridor, just outside the library. "Ginny?" she said weakly, staggering over to them. The bodies were stiff and rigid, as Justin's had been.

To her dizzy relief she saw that neither was Ginny, but her heart plunged in dismay to see Hermione Granger's brown eyes staring in terror. The other was an older girl with blond hair Eve didn't recognise, her wide eyes locked onto a small mirror in her frozen hand.

Breathing shakily, Eve scanned the corridor. In the distance she could hear faint footsteps around the corner, walking away from the library. She'd definitely seen a flash of red hair earlier. If the chamber monster was around… Ginny was on her own. Glancing back at the petrified bodies Eve swallowed, and turned to slowly continue down the corridor.

She strained her ears for any sound. Trying to breathe as quietly as possible, Eve peered around the next corner. There was no sign of anyone.

Eve froze and drew in her breath sharply. Something was behind her. It moved quickly but heavily, without any footsteps, just a long rough scraping against the stone floor. Her feet rooted her to the spot, listening to the creature behind while the pounding of her heart reverberated madly in her head.

A low, rolling snarl rumbled from deep within the creature's body. Whatever had made that sound was huge. Eve felt a draft of its breath on her back and suppressed a whimper. Trembling, she tried to glance behind her without turning her head, afraid of making any sudden movements. She could just about make out a large shape on the periphery of her vision.

What would it do if she ran? Down the end of the corridor she could see the girl's bathroom, the door hanging open. Could she outrun the creature if she tried? If she shut the door would it hold?

The creature shifted behind her. Eve heard it move to her left. It was coming closer, edging around her. Sweat dripped down the back of her neck. Slowly, shakily, she turned her head as it came into her line of sight-

_CRACK_

The sudden noise deafened Eve. There was a violent jerk at her naval and she felt the world collapse in on her. The howling blackness whipped around her and crushed her tightly, her lungs convulsing under the pressure until she suddenly emerged in an empty classroom.

Eve gasped and clutched at her chest, inhaling air into her raw lungs. Her vision swam before her eyes and she bent over and retched. Shuddering, she realised someone was holding her hand.

Quick as a flash the grip on her hand let go. Eve whipped her eyes upwards, catching sight of a pair of bat-like ears.

"Wait" she croaked feebly, scrambling to her feet, but there was another loud crack and the elf vanished. Eve stared at the empty spot where the house elf had been. She leaned against the desk, gripping it for support.

Blinking sluggishly, Eve tried to make sense of what had just happened. The monster had got Hermione and that other girl, and it had almost got her. Eve slid into a chair, her heart heaving. One of the house elves had rescued her.

Eve glanced around the room. The far-away voices of everyone down at the Quidditch pitch drifted through the open windows. She was in a Charms classroom on the other side of the school. The house elf must have teleported her away from danger. But why did it leave so quickly?

She started at the sound of two more cracks in succession behind her and spun around. There was no sign of any house elf, it had left as rapidly as it came. Eve's eyes fell on a lone piece of paper on one of the desks. Had it been there before?

Eve stumbled out of the chair and snatched the paper off the table. It was a page torn from a book. With a jolt Eve recognised it. The old class photo she'd found months ago, the one of her grandfather, smiled up at her along with his classmates. With the sensation of a ton of bricks falling on her head Eve finally recognised the name from Ginny's diary: Tom Marvolo Riddle.

* * *

**1981**

_They arrived in the dark twilit kitchen._

_The cavernous mansion creaked around them._

_He glanced up at the ceiling, trembling, at the family asleep upstairs._

_The baby squirmed in his arms as they silently left again._


	8. Chapter 8: A Leap in the Dark

The school was on lock down. Every day they were to be escorted from Gryffindor Tower in a pack to the Great Hall for breakfast, and from there they'd be chaperoned to lessons. In the common room Harry and Ron looked pale and diminished without Hermione by their side. They had asked Eve if she'd seen the monster that attacked her, desperately searching for any clues of what it was, but Eve shook her head. "It was behind me" she repeated, as student upon student in the common room badgered her. "I didn't see what it looked like".

"Did you hear it?" Neville asked her quietly, when everyone had finally left her alone. Eve nodded, shuddering at the memory of the creature's breath on her neck.

Neville swallowed. "I'm glad you're ok" he said. "I, I should have gone with you, instead of going to the match".

"No you shouldn't have" Eve said quickly. "The monster might have got you. Don't worry, I'm fine".

Eve glanced across the room at Ginny, who sat huddled with her brothers, silent and distracted while they muttered among themselves. Eve had hoped Ginny would at least talk to her after her near-brush with the Chamber of Secrets monster, but she was avoiding eye contact. Watching her sadly Eve noticed that she'd lost a lot of weight.

As Eve hadn't seen the creature or who was controlling it, her testimony had not been of much use to a very pale Professor McGonagall, who was busier than ever now that the Board of Governors had sacked Professor Dumbledore as headmaster. The house elves in the kitchen were currently being questioned for anything they might have seen. So far none had come forward.

There was talk now that if the attacks weren't stopped then the school would be closed. Eve wondered what would happen to her if it did. Was there another wizarding school they could go to, or would they open a new one somewhere? Or would she just be sent back to the muggle world? Eve tried to picture going to the same school as Saleem, just forgetting about Hogwarts and magic and going back to maths and geography and football. She wouldn't have to come up with a lie anymore. That would be a relief. Maybe she'd just tell Amira she got expelled – she'd probably believe that.

Daniel would be distraught if he couldn't study magic. He couldn't wait to leave the muggle world. He'd never be able to settle there, not now he knew this world existed. And Eve knew she couldn't either. Especially not with her parent's killers still out there. She'd always be waiting for them to come back, for whatever reason they were after her, always keeping an eye out for a silver mask.

Eve hadn't mentioned the torn page from the library book to McGonagall. Whoever had rescued her was the one who'd been mysteriously returning her library books to her whenever she forgot them, she knew that now. _Nature's Nobility_ nearly falling on her head had been no accident. They'd left the books to guide her to the family tree, to the photograph, they knew she'd been searching for answers about the Lestranges. Did they know she'd stopped looking? They must know if they'd been following her close enough to rescue her. Were they trying to guide her now towards her parents' killers? This Riddle knew her grandfather, perhaps he could be a clue about who would target her. Who would kill her Mum and Dad to get to her.

If only Ginny would just talk to her, Eve would finally come clean. Before she asked anyone else, Eve owed Ginny an explanation. She'd tell her everything, and ask her what she knew about Tom Riddle.

* * *

Ginny wasn't in the Great Hall at lunch. Eve twisted her neck up and down the table. She was certain she'd seen her near the back of the class as Professor Flitwick led them to the Great Hall. She'd tried to approach her for the hundredth time that Charms lesson, again to no avail.

"Have you seen Ginny?" she asked Neville, frowning.

"Huh?" Neville blinked. "She can't have gone off, we're getting chaperoned everywhere".

"Finish up first years" Snape drawled impatiently. "Potions in 5 minutes". Neville went to join the second years as McGonagall led them out of the hall. The first years trailed out gloomily behind Snape, heading to the dungeons. Eve hung near the back, eyeing the grand staircase. There'd definitely been a flash of red hair the day of the attack, but neither of the victims had red hair. The attack by the library hadn't been far from Moaning Myrtle's toilet. If Ginny wanted to be alone, no other student would follow her there.

Charity led a small crowd of third years out of the Great Hall and up the stairs. Casting a sideways glance at Snape, Eve ducked out from behind Vicky and Demelza and slipped to the back of Charity's Muggle Studies class. At the top of the stairs she quickly slid behind a suit of armour and waited till the class had turned the corner, before hurrying along the corridor in the opposite direction-

"Eve!" someone whispered.

She whipped around to see Neville following her, tiptoeing nervously past the armour.

"What are you doing?" she hissed in disbelief. Neville wasn't the sort to skip class.

"I saw you slipping away" he said, eyes widened anxiously. "You're not going off on your own, it's not safe!"

"It's not safe for you either!"

"Maybe… maybe the monster won't come if there's a pureblood with you?" Neville suggested nervously. Eve opened her mouth to argue, but decided against it. The teachers would notice they'd gone missing soon.

"Alright" she said. If she were honest she was glad not to be alone. "Keep an eye out behind".

They quietly headed towards the spot of the last attack, ears alert for any sound of an approaching teacher. Or something worse. Eve felt a chill creep up her neck as they came close, and felt grateful it was Neville behind her this time and not the monster.

There was movement in the corridor ahead. Eve and Neville nervously glanced at each other and, holding a steadying hand to the wall, Eve peered around the corner.

Eve's gut plunged. On the wall, by the girl's bathroom, in the same place as it had been the night of the first attack, was another message painted in blood:

_'Her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever'_

The blood glistened, bright red and fresh. Neville urgently grabbed her hand and tugged it. "We should go" he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "We need to get a teacher".

Eyes glued to the message on the wall Eve slowly nodded, before a terrified sob suddenly echoed from the girl's bathroom.

"Ginny?" Eve whispered. She pulled away from Neville's hand. Knees trembling she forced her feet to move towards the bathroom. The voice was shaking violently.

"Don't want to. I don't want to. _Please_".

The circle of sinks in the centre of the bathroom had been split apart, revealing a large gaping hole. At the edge of it stood a tiny girl with red hair.

"Ginny!" Eve yelped in alarm.

Ginny turned to face her, Riddle's diary clutched against her chest so tight her knuckles threatened to poke out of her skin. Her eyes glowed a deep red. They flickered up at her lazily, displaying no recognition.

Neville's breath caught in his throat as he caught up with her. "What- what's wrong with her?" he stammered. "Her eyes-"

The air escaped Eve's lungs as Ginny took a step back and dropped into the hole. The two of them rushed forward, reaching their hands out uselessly. Eve screamed and clutched at the edge of the hole, straining her eyes into the darkness.

Neville took out his trembling wand and said "Lumos", casting a dim orb of light. Eve almost dropped her own wand as she shakily copied him. "Lumos" was one of the few spells she could muster. The light glowed hazily from the tips of their wands. Ginny had vanished.

"It's a tunnel!" Eve said, leaning over it in panic. The walls were made of a dark, slimy stone. "I can't make out how far it goes!"

"We need to get a teacher! Now!" Neville said, gripping her shoulder.

There was a low rumbling coming from deep beneath the bathroom. Eve and Neville staggered as the floor began to move. To Eve's horror she realised the sinks were shifting back into place.

"It's closing!" she yelled, scrambling madly towards the tunnel.

"Don't" Neville panicked as he lost his grip on her. "It's too late!"

All her senses screaming, Eve leapt after her friend, plunging into the darkness.

* * *

Years ago, when Eve was seven years old, she'd ran out into the road after Saleem. She couldn't remember what game they were playing, but a car had skidded to a halt and knocked her into the pavement. Her head had crashed into the concrete. Mum panicked as she lay unconscious for hours in hospital, terrified she wouldn't wake up. She and the doctors were then both mystified and relieved when Eve woke up with no signs of a brain injury. Charity later explained that her rapid healing was to do with her being a witch.

Eve groaned and clutched at her head. Her fingers felt fabric, and came away wet and sticky. Wincing, Eve wondered where she was, and why it was so dark. Mum must have kept her home from school after the hospital, she thought dully. She remembered Dad driving them home and carrying Eve upstairs to bed. But why was her bed so uncomfortable?

Someone moved beside her in the dark, and a dim orb of light appeared from their wand. "Eve?" Neville stumbled over to her. "You're awake!"

Blinking sluggishly Eve reached out a hand to push herself up into a sitting position. The floor was covered in strange rocks.

Bones. Terror flooded her veins and Eve was suddenly alert. She was sitting in a pile of bones. With a yelp she scrambled to her feet, the tiny skeletons crunching beneath her.

"Careful!" Neville grabbed her arms. "You hit your head in the tunnel, I had to wrap it to stop the bleeding". He was covered head to toe in grime. Glancing down Eve saw that the hem of his robes had been ripped to make a bandage.

"How long…" Eve's head was pounding madly. "How long have I been out?"

"Hours" Neville said, his face pale in the wandlight. "I've been trying to find a way back up, but I couldn't move you and the tunnels are too steep and slippery".

Hours. Eve fumbled for her wand and lit it. They were in a deep underground cave shaped like a dome. Breathing heavily she held her wand upwards, the light glistening off the damp rock. There were multiple tunnels leading out in the ceiling. Ahead of them a large one with a tall circular entrance stretched out into a long, cavernous path, too dark for the wandlight to penetrate.

"Where's Ginny?" Eve asked urgently.

Neville shook his head. "There was no one here when we got down, she could be ages away by now". Eve glanced down at the skeletons by her feet and tried to reassure herself that none of them appeared to be human. "We need to find her, quick" she said.

"We need to find a way back up" Neville insisted. "You need the hospital wing, and there's no way we can fight a monster on our own".

"You jumped in after me" Eve said, staring at Neville in bewilderment. She tried to imagine Neville sitting alone for hours in a dark, skeleton-filled cave with an unconscious friend bleeding out.

"I shouldn't have" Neville groaned. "I should have got help, but I panicked-"

"Wait, do you hear that?"

A muffled sound rumbled in the distance over their heads. They caught their breath and stood still, listening. It was getting louder. Eve gripped her wand tighter, wishing she knew how to perform some spell, any spell, that would help fight off the creature.

The sound was coming from one of the tunnels. Neville moved to stand in front of her, nervously pointing his wand at the tunnel's entrance. Eve heard yelling echoing off of the walls. Confused, Eve peered up it and backed away just in time as Professor Lockhart – of all people – hurtled out of it. Eve and Neville looked at each other in bewilderment, before another rumbling sound came from the tunnel and out came Harry, followed by Ron.

"Eve! Neville!" Harry exclaimed, staggering over the bones. Lockhart let out a squeak as he realised what he was standing in. "Are you alright?"

"What – how did you-?" Eve stammered at the sight of them, wondering how on earth they'd got there. They were grimy from the tunnel, and looked both surprised and relieved to see them alive.

Ron stumbled towards them, his face as white as a sheet. "Where's Ginny?" he asked urgently.

"We don't know" Neville stammered. "We followed her down the tunnel but Eve hit her head on the way down and I was busy bandaging her while she was out. I didn't see or hear anyone-"

"You're bleeding" Harry noticed. Blood from the cut on her head was trickling through Neville's soaked bandage and down the side of her face. Neville hurriedly bent down to rip more of his robes.

"Did you see who took Ginny?" Ron asked them as Harry helped Neville clumsily tie the bandage around her head.

Eve shook her head. "No one took her" she hurried to explain. "I don't know what happened, her eyes were red, she wasn't herself-"

"What? Her eyes were red?"

"Glowing red. I- I think she's been possessed or something. It had something to do with the diary" she added. "Tom Riddle's diary, she was holding it."

"How-?" Ron glanced wildly at Harry. "Why does Ginny have Tom Riddle's diary?"

"She's been writing in it all year" Eve said with a frown. "But I saw it, the pages are-"

"-Empty." Harry finished. He staggered backwards, trying to think.

"Wait, I thought Riddle was, you know, one of the good guys?" Ron said, confused.

"I'm not sure what's going on" Harry said slowly. "But we've got to find Ginny quick".

Eve wondered how they knew about Tom Riddle and the diary, but decided now wasn't the time to ask. "Let's try down here" she said, pointing to the main tunnel.

"Woah" Ron protested. "You're hurt, and you're just a first year!"

"I'm fine, and you're just a second year!" Eve shot back with a scowl.

"Perhaps I should escort her back to safety" Lockhart suggested meekly.

"You're not going anywhere" Harry snarled at Lockhart. He looked at Eve for a moment, eyes flickering to the cut on her head. "Neville, you take Eve back up and get help-"

"I'm not leaving without Ginny" Eve interrupted him, crossing her arms stubbornly. "We're wasting time – there's no way back up the tunnel anyway".

Harry glanced at Neville, who shrugged helplessly.

"Fine" Harry groaned. "We'll all go, but Neville, you grab Eve and run back here if something goes wrong". Neville nodded grimly, trying to mask the look of absolute terror on his face.

Harry turned to lead the way. "The monster's a giant snake" he said. "Whatever you do, don't look it in the eye or it will kill you immediately".

"It'll what?" squeaked Lockhart, tripping over his feet. "It'll do what?"

* * *

"Of all the teachers to bring" Eve said later in disgust. "Did you have to bring _him_?"

Lockhart was propped up gormlessly against the cave wall. His disastrous attempt at a memory charm had backfired spectacularly, leaving Harry to go on ahead alone while Eve, Ron and Neville struggled to shift the rocks blocking the tunnel.

"Literally _anyone_ would have been better" Eve grumbled, heaving against a rock that wouldn't budge. "McGonagall would have been _perfect_".

"Maybe you shouldn't be shifting these" Ron grunted, managing to lift a rock the size of his head that made absolutely no difference to the daunting task at hand. "You're still bleeding. You should probably, I dunno, lie down or something?"

"I'm _fine_" Eve insisted, shoving her weight against the boulder, to no effect except a scraped and bloody palm. She kicked against it in frustration and swore, clutching her foot. "I should have realised something was up with the diary" she moaned. "I knew she was ill, I knew something was wrong but I never thought… I just got so caught up in other stuff".

She'd been so convinced that the ripped page had been a clue, that whoever had left it had been trying to guide her towards her parents' killers, she never considered it was a warning about the diary. About what was happening to Ginny.

"I should have noticed something too" Ron said bitterly. Eve glanced at him. His face was strained against tears in his eyes as he helplessly pushed against a larger boulder.

"You tried. You were always checking on her".

"Not enough". Ron buckled against the weight of the boulder and lost his grip.

"Careful!" Neville hurried forward and pushed up against the boulder before it could crush Ron's foot. They lowered it down, panting.

"This is pointless" Neville gasped, sweat dripping down his face. "You don't happen to know any spells that could shift these easier do you?"

"A levitating charm? I definitely shouldn't try anything with my wand though" Ron said grimly. "You saw what it just did". He sighed. "We need Hermione".

Neville nervously raised his wand. He cleared his throat. "Wingardium Leviosa".

A few of the smaller boulders and a scattering of pebbles rose up shakily. Eve let out a whoop. However it was a clumsy attempt, and the larger rocks still blocked their path.

Neville sighed. "I told you I'm almost a squib" he said miserably.

"Don't say that Neville" Ron said. "Heavier things are harder to lift anyway".

"Could you lift the big ones if you borrowed mine?" Eve suggested, holding her wand out to Ron.

Ron hesitantly took it, and tried the same spell on the boulder. It shifted slightly and shook, as though wanting to take flight, but it collapsed back into place.

Ron sighed. "I might have been able to lift it a bit with my own wand if it weren't broken. Your wand won't work for me, I'm not its owner".

"That might be my problem" Neville said glumly. "This wand's my Dad's old one".

Ron held Eve's wand back to her. "Here, you give it a go".

"Haven't you heard? I can barely lift a feather" Eve said anxiously. For a millisecond she felt a familiar faint flicker of warmth as the wand returned to her fingertips, but it fizzled out feebly as quickly as it came.

She thought of Ginny, of how terrified she'd sounded when whatever was possessing the diary had forced her into the tunnel. She was stuck on the other side, lost behind those glowing red eyes. And Harry, facing a monster that could kill you with a glance, on his own. Eve gripped her wand tighter and performed the wand movements she'd practised a million times over in the past year.

"Wingardium Leviosa"

The boulder near the roof of the cave trembled slightly, then lay limp. Clenching her fists, Eve tried again, and again.

"Wingardium Leviosa. _Wingardium Leviosa_".

The rock had barely moved an inch. Eve swore furiously, wanting to tear out her hair in frustration. She slumped down helplessly against the cave wall, breathing heavily. Lockhart lolled his head to the side towards her, an oblivious grin on his stupid face.

Ron stared at the collapsed cave in front of them, clutching his head. Screwing up his face in determination he scrambled back up the pile of rocks, trying again to budge the top boulder.

Eve watched, twirling the wand around in her fingers. Tears stung in her eyes. She hated it. She wanted to snap it, to break the stupid thing into twigs for reminding her of how useless she was-

-She winced as a jolt of energy streamed through her arm. Eve rolled up her sleeve to see another fresh pattern of bruises. Neville approached her, frowning. "What's wrong with your arm?"

"It's nothing" Eve said automatically, but Neville stopped her rolling her sleeve down. "It looks sore" he said in concern.

Eve shook her head. "Just banged it in the tunnel on the way down. It's fine".

Neville glanced at Ron shifting the rocks and sighed. "I'm sorry I'm so useless".

"You're not useless" Eve said. "You managed to move some of the rocks, it's more than me or Ron did". Neville's face remained downcast.

"And it was really brave of you too" she added. "You know, jumping in after me".

Neville blinked. "It was?" Eve nodded. Neville absorbed this for a moment, then shook his head.

"It was stupid of me" Neville looked down at his feet. "We really need a teacher with us, not a… Lockhart".

"That's Harry and Ron's fault. Anyway, I might have bled out if you hadn't come after me" Eve said. Neville fell still and looked up at her. Eve smiled gratefully. "Thank you. For looking after me".

Neville weakly returned her smile. "I should- I should go help Ron" he said. "You need to rest, your cut hasn't stopped bleeding".

Eve heeded and sat back against the cave wall, watching as Neville joined Ron in once again heaving against the giant boulder. The bruises on her arm throbbed again, flowering a deeper purple. Eve gently stroked her thumb over to them, thinking to herself. They'd first appeared after her nightmare about that night two years ago. The energy she felt when they came was the same sensation from when she'd thrown out her arm to cast the masked man backwards, crashing into the banisters with the power of a cannon. Too late. In every nightmare it was always too late.

Eve glanced down past her bruised arm to see one of the pebbles Neville had dislodged earlier by her feet. She picked it up, remembering her first day with Daniel, the way he'd rotated the pebble in mid-air under the shadow of a wiry old tree. He'd told her she'd be able to produce the same kind of powerful magic again, when she was scared, when she needed it… Ginny needed her now.

Eve stood up slowly. She raised her wand, pointing it at the top boulder, and concentrated. The cut on her head throbbed and blood continued to trickle down her face, but she ignored it. She focused her mind on shifting that rock the way Daniel had said, imagined it moving out from the pile and lifting itself into the air. _Move_.

Ron and Neville started and backed away as the rock began trembling. The blood pounded in Eve's head. _Move_. That rock was all that stood between them and Ginny. She'd already failed her friend once. She wouldn't again. Her wand flared to life in her hand.

"Wingardium Leviosa" she shouted.

The boulder released itself. Shaking slightly, it rose into the air, away from the pile. It followed Eve's wand as she lowered it to the ground. At the last minute her head throbbed painfully again and she let go, sending it thudding onto the cave floor with a loud crash. Lockhart cheered and applauded.

"You did it!" Ron leapt upwards, hastily pushing smaller rocks out of the way to make the clearing bigger. "We're through!"

A cry screeched from behind them. They spun around. The cry grew louder, and a huge fiery glow burst into the cave. They ducked as a large bird with magnificent red, orange and yellow feathers swooped over their heads, clutching something dusty and frayed in its talons. It shot through the clearing they'd made, it's cry fading away as it flew down the tunnel.

"What the bloody hell was that?" said Ron in an awestruck voice.

Neville hurried forward, shifting more of the smaller rocks. Ron and Eve joined him and eventually made a big enough gap for them to get through easily, in case they needed a quick way out.

Leaving Lockhart behind they tore down the passageway, footsteps clattering on the dark stone. The bird was already long gone, but they ran in the direction it went hopefully. Eve barely registered her surroundings, running and panting until the stone slipped beneath her feet.

They had emerged in a vast, half-flooded chamber. Through the murky glow they saw three figures beneath a giant statue, one of them lying unconscious on the floor. The second figure – Harry – was kneeling by their side, the fiery bird perched next to him. He was clutching his arm and gasping in pain.

Eve froze in disbelief. For a moment she wondered whether her head injury was worse than she'd realised. The third figure standing over Harry was the pale boy from the photograph. Tom Riddle, completely solid and not a day over sixteen. His dark cold eyes looked up at the new arrivals, and in them Eve saw the same menace that had hidden behind his smile for the camera.

"Harry! Ginny!" yelled Ron next to her, his voice panicked.

Eve tore her gaze away from Riddle and towards the unconscious figure. Her heart stopped as she saw her red hair. Ginny's skin was drained of colour, glowing icy as marble, and her chest wasn't rising. On the ground beside her lay the diary.

Tom Riddle's eyes flickered to Ron as he lurched forwards desperately towards his sister. The pale boy's lips curled into a smirk, and his fingers flexed around the wand in his hand-

Behind Riddle Harry lunged forward with something sharp in his hand. Tom Riddle snapped his attention away from Ron and back to him, realising too late what Harry was doing and yelling in alarm as Harry stabbed the diary.

Tom Riddle let out a terrible scream. The howl echoed throughout the chamber and reverberated off the carved pillars around them. Eve staggered and shielded her eyes as a white light burst from his chest. It burnt brilliantly in the dim gloom and momentarily blinded them, searing through her eyelids. Suddenly the light went out and the screaming stopped, and Eve blinked in confusion. Tom Riddle had vanished.

There was a gasp of breath and Ginny stirred.

"Ginny!" Ron dropped his wand to the side with a clatter. He fell to his knees by his sister, wrapping her in a hug and holding her tight. Ginny glanced wildly around the chamber over his shoulder and broke into heavy sobs.

"Riddle made me- I'm so sorry" she bawled, clinging her brother back. "What- where's Riddle – he came out of the diary-"

"Riddle's gone" Harry reassured her, looking both relieved and exhausted. Eve and Neville helped him up. He was soaked in blood, but there was no sign of any injury in the tear in his sleeve, where the fiery bird was laying its doleful head. Harry held up the diary Ginny had been writing in all year, drenched in ink and a large gaping hole in the middle of it. "Here, look Ginny. It's alright, it's over".

Eve breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of Ginny safe in her brother's arms. Next to her Neville was staring in horror at something in the distance. Following his gaze Eve saw the corpse of a giant snake by the pillars, a dark pool of blood flooding slowly from its jaws. They stared from it to the bloody silver sword that Harry picked up off the chamber floor, along with the tattered, frayed Sorting Hat.

"I'm not sure what just happened" Neville muttered weakly.

Eve shook her head. "Me and you both". She began to feel dizzy as the cut on her head throbbed again. Now she was drained of adrenaline the chamber was starting to spin slightly.

"Let's get out of here" Neville said, noticing. "Before I run out of robe for bandage".

The five of them left the chamber, Ron holding Ginny, Neville supporting Eve and Harry dragging the heavy silver sword behind him. The fiery bird flew above them, and together they followed its glow back down the tunnel.

* * *

_**1981**_

_The man had a mop of dark curly hair._

_The woman had a warm smile and deep honey-brown eyes._

_He watched from the window and muttered an incantation._

_Soon they would come outside and discover the baby._


	9. Chapter 9: An Old Friend

Madam Pomfrey tutted at Neville's handiwork. "I suppose all things considered you did a good job" she acknowledged curtly. "Still should have been brought straight to me, that could leave a scar-".

McGonagall had looked as though she were about the faint when she saw them in the doorway to Dumbledore's office covered in blood and grime. Ron had his arm wrapped protectively around a shivering Ginny's shoulders, and Ginny had burst into tears again and buried her head into her mother's jumper.

Ginny was now with her parents in the corner of the hospital wing, a screen drawn around them for privacy. Back in Dumbledore's office Mrs Weasley had smothered each of them in a hug in gratitude, almost knocking the air out of them and ignoring Neville's mumbling that he 'didn't really do anything much'.

After the events of that night had been relayed Eve and Ginny were immediately sent to the hospital wing, with Neville insisting on coming along. They'd followed McGonagall, brushing past a man with long silver-blond hair along the way. Mr Weasley had stiffened as he passed, and the two men glared icily at each other. The blond man straightened himself and went up the spiral staircase to Dumbledore's office. Eve glanced back, catching sight of something small next to him. "S'a house elf" she mumbled dizzily, her head starting to ache again as Neville helped lead her around the corner.

Neville hovered awkwardly while Pomfrey fussed over Eve, forcing her to down a vial of foul-tasting potion. Eve gagged as it scalded her throat, but soon found her head feeling a lot clearer. "You've lost a lot of blood" Pomfrey scolded, fixing a fresh clean bandage. "Really shouldn't have exerted yourself, foolish thing to do…"

"They'll be waking up soon?" asked McGonagall. Around them the limbs of the petrified victims were starting to relax; Pomfrey and Professor Sprout had been tirelessly administering the mandrake cure all day.

"Yes yes so would you please make room, the last thing I need in here is crowding. Come on, out". Madam Pomfrey started to shoo McGonagall and Neville towards the door.

McGonagall raised her eyebrows and sighed. "I suppose I've got to wake up Gryffindor house anyway. Since Dumbledore's throwing a midnight feast. Will you assist me Mr Longbottom?"

She hesitated and looked at Eve and Neville. "Of course what the two of you did was foolish. Harry and Ron too. Harry especially. You're all so quick to run into danger it's no wonder I can't sleep at night!"

Eve braced herself in the hospital bed, wondering if she was about to get another detention, and Neville's head sank into his shoulders meekly. McGonagall's mouth twitched. "I suppose I'll have to be rewarding house points at the feast".

Neville relaxed and glanced back at Eve in relief. They shared a grin as Neville followed McGonagall out of the hospital wing, passing a distressed-looking Charity on the way.

"Eve!" She hurried over to her, ignoring Pomfrey's scandalised protests. The words came tumbling out. "I was so worried – when I heard you, Ginny and Neville were missing – and I saw the writing on the wall – at my wit's end – you should have come straight to a teacher-"

"I know" Eve said guiltily. "I'm sorry Chari- Professor".

Charity sat down on the chair by her hospital bed, eyes on Eve's bandage. "How's your head?"

"Fine now" Eve assured her. "Neville helped fix me up".

"What happened down there? Did you see the monster?"

"No, well Harry had already killed it by the time we got there". Eve watched Charity's dumbfounded expression at the idea of a 12-year-old boy slaying a giant thousand-year-old beast. "There was an accident with Lockhart and we got separated from Harry when the cave fell in".

Unable to contain herself, Eve gleefully told Charity how she'd managed to move the boulder. She couldn't wait to tell Daniel how his method worked with a wand. First of course she'd have to fill him in on the Chamber of Secrets and apologise profusely.

Charity beamed despite herself as she listened. "What did I tell you?" she laughed. "Sounds like all those detentions did you good-"

She stopped, eyes landing on Eve's arm. Eve realised in horror that the sleeves on her hospital gown showed her bruises. It was a miracle Madam Pomfrey's all-seeing eye hadn't spotted them.

"Eve" Charity said quietly. "What are these?"

Eve crossed her arms and wrapped them close around her waist, gripping her bruises and avoiding Charity's eye. Her stomach twisted.

"You've had bruises since February Eve" Charity said in urgent undertones. "Please, don't hide this from me".

Eve's jaw trembled and she felt like she was going to be sick. "I get them whenever I dream about it – about the night they died" she finally whispered.

The whole hospital wing around her blurred. Charity and her voice blurred, as though Eve had been plunged under water. She screwed her eyes shut and felt the truth rising like a tide out of her, the dam about to burst at the seams. "It's my fault" she said. A sudden deep sob heaved from her chest. "It's my fault – if I'd done more – if my magic had come sooner they'd still be alive-"

Charity blurred back into view. She had her face in her hands. Eve hesitated until she emerged, her eyes tired and upset. The professor then did something she hadn't done before and pulled Eve into a tight hug. Eve buried her head into Charity's shoulder, tears spilling down her face and soaking the front of Charity's robes.

"Eve" Charity said gently. "You've been directing your magic inwards whenever you've felt guilty. But it isn't your fault. Even if your magic had come earlier there's no way you would have had enough control over it to fight off a group of full-grown wizards".

"But I-" Eve started, but Charity continued.

"You were able to buy yourself time. If the Aurors and the police hadn't arrive when they did, I doubt you would have been able to hold them off any further".

Eve pulled away from the hug and lowered her head. "It is still my fault though" she said quietly. "They never would have come to the house if it weren't for me".

Charity stiffened, absorbing this. "Oh Evie-"

"-My parents didn't know what I was when they adopted me. They didn't know I was putting them in danger-"

"Eve listen to me". Charity took hold of her shoulders and looked into her eyes firmly. "Don't you ever blame yourself for that. Ever. You understand? You did not put your parents in danger".

Eve didn't respond, unconvinced. Charity sighed.

"It isn't your fault" she repeated. "Whoever those masked men were, you are not to blame for what they did. And I promise you no one is resting until we've caught them and sent them to Azkaban where they belong. And this-" she gestured to the bruises on Eve's arm. "This isn't happening again, do you hear me? If it does you come talk to me. _Promise me_ Evie?" Charity pleaded.

Eve swallowed, raising her head to meet her eyes. Finally she nodded. "I promise Char- Professor".

"Charity" she corrected. Eve paused for a moment and let out something between a laugh and a hiccup as Charity took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "Might as well now" Charity said, her eyes smiling softly. "I suppose you're never going to be taking Muggle Studies anyway".

Madam Pomfrey came over and had Eve take another dose of potion while Charity began seeing to the other petrified students as they slowly stirred, gently explaining to them what had happened and setting about writing hurried letters to owl to their parents. Pomfrey issued Eve a pair of hospital pyjamas and grudgingly said she was permitted to join the midnight feast.

"You can tell everyone else the others may be joining shortly" she said, nodding her head to the stirring students. Hermione was slowly sitting up, blinking sluggishly and flexing her stiff limbs. "Though I really think you should all stay put at least till morning…"

She grumbled this, hurrying over to Hermione as she clumsily tried to stand and ordering her back into bed so she could check her over. Eve lingered by the door, watching the screen hiding Ginny and her parents from view, before stepping out into the corridor. There was a rumble of footsteps and excited chattering overhead, and when she came to the Entrance Hall it was packed with a flood of students in their pyjamas, blinking sleepily and bustling into the Great Hall.

Eve stood on tiptoe and peered over their heads for any sign of Neville. The blond man from earlier was shoving his way against the tide of the crowd, his hair dishevelled and his cloak askew as though he'd fallen over. He seemed to be in a hurry to leave, fuming as he smoothed his cloak. Watching him march to the front doors to exit the castle Eve recognised him as the man from Diagon Alley. _My uncle_, she thought grimly.

She knew from Draco's boasting that he was on the board of governors, that's probably what he was doing in Dumbledore's office so late at night. Eve hesitated, then took a few steps towards him out of curiosity, wondering if he knew he even had a niece, if she should try approaching him. Or if she even wanted to. The man turned in the middle of straightening his collar and, sensing her eyes on him, looked her way.

The castle fell silent around them. Eve looked up into his steel-grey eyes. The eyes that had glinted menacingly behind a silver mask in her nightmares.

Her parent's killer froze at the sight of her.

Eve felt her lungs fill up with concrete. They stared at each other wordlessly, while behind them students continued to pour into the Great Hall. Lucius Malfoy's hand twitched nervously around his silver-topped cane, and he made a slight movement forward, as though about to say something. Eve took a quick step back, reflexively raising her arm between them.

Malfoy paused, his eyes seeing something, someone stood behind her. Eve didn't look around, keeping her eyes carefully on Malfoy as he swallowed and composed himself. He straightened his collar again and quickly turned to leave without a word. It wasn't until his footsteps had faded away behind the giant doors that Eve felt her breath return to her body.

Behind her she heard a familiar CRACK. She knew without looking that whoever had been there was now gone.

* * *

There were no lessons the next day. Ginny had not returned to Gryffindor Tower yet; Ron said she was still with their parents. Eve wondered if Ginny would return for what little was left of the school year. She wouldn't blame her if she didn't, after everything she'd been through.

Eve scratched the bandage on her head. Madam Pomfrey's fussing that she'd be left with a scar was mostly unfounded, the matron's magic had of course worked wonders. She'd given Eve another fresh bandage that morning, unwrapping last night's one to reveal merely a faint, barely visible line, easily covered by her hair. Ignoring Vicky and Demelza's questionings and whispers she sat and stared out of their dorm window. It was a blisteringly hot day outside. Tiny figures lounged by the lake, a breeze of euphoria in the air below at no lessons, no exams and no more attacks.

The school was safe for Daniel now. Only yesterday Eve had feared the school would be closed, and that he would never get to step foot in the castle she knew he spent every waking and sleeping moment dreaming of. Soon it would be the summer holidays and she would be going back to the muggle world for a little while, and after that Daniel would finally join her here, finally see this view.

As she thought about it Eve saw two trembling threads linking her to the muggle world, stretching all the way from Hogwarts, crossing towns and forests and moors, back to her old home. One of those threads was her Grandad, his memory slipping further and further away. He didn't have long left before he too was buried, in a grave not far from her uncle Tariq, from her Mum and her Dad.

The second thread wasn't Amira, or Saleem, or any of the Iqbals. They could never know of this castle, of the grounds below, of the creatures in the forest, any of it. Amira could never know her friend's silver-masked killer walked free in a hidden world, his son attending the same school as her goddaughter. And despite what Charity said, Eve knew her parents would never have been in danger if it weren't for her. Malfoy was still out there, and he would try again. It was safer to stay away.

The second thread was Daniel. And the moment he stepped foot on Platform 9 and ¾, the moment he joined her in the wizarding world, that thread would be cut loose. And she would drift into the wizarding world, untethered to home. Float away like her uncle until her old world no longer recognised her, and she no longer recognised it. Eve thought she understood uncle Ray a bit more now. Maybe uncle Tariq had been one of his threads, and Grandad his last. She hoped wherever he'd drifted he wasn't alone. At least she would have Daniel with her.

Eve waited until Vicky and Demelza had left and until she could hear no one else around her in Gryffindor Tower. She raised her voice in the empty dorm: "Are you there?"

At first silence. Then a CRACK. By her side was a mug of hot chocolate.

Eve spun around. In the corner of the dorm, watching her hesitantly with green tennis-ball eyes, was a house elf. He looked in worse shape than the Hogwarts elves she'd seen before. Instead of a starched white uniform he was wearing only a grotty pillowcase, with a large single grey sock on one of his feet.

"It's you!" Eve said. "You're the one who saved me from the basilisk". She waited for him to respond, but the elf swallowed, keeping his distance.

"The library books, the hot chocolate, and last night with Malfoy, and" Eve racked her brain. "And Platform 9 and ¾! That was you too!" Eve got up from her perch by the window and studied him. "Who are you?"

"Dobby, Miss".

There was a scared tremor in his voice. The house elf – Dobby – seemed restless, as though he might bolt at any second. His face was covered in cuts and bruises. "Are you alright?" Eve asked in concern, trying to approach gently.

Dobby gave a strangled nod. "I- I is forbidden until now from speaking to you, Miss. That is why I is leaving in a hurry before. I-"

"Forbidden? By who?"

"Master Malfoy"

Eve flinched at the name. A storm of questions raged in her mind, she didn't know where to begin. "Did he do this to you?" she asked, wincing at the bruises.

Dobby swallowed and nodded again, but a nervous smile flickered on his face. "But Dobby is not working for Master Malfoy anymore. Harry Potter is tricking my master into freeing me with a gift of clothes" he said, gesturing to the grimy sock on his foot. "Dobby is free".

There was an elated note of awe in his voice as he savoured those words. Eve smiled uncertainly despite herself. She was still very confused about what was going on, but at her smile Dobby seemed to relax somewhat. Mind racing, Eve took a step closer.

"Why did Malfoy forbid you to talk to me? Why have you been following me all year?"

Dobby hesitated, as though wondering how best to explain. "To take care of you".

Eve frowned. "But, why would you want to care of me?"

"I is taking care of you when you is a baby".

His answer caught Eve by surprise. Bewildered, she sat slowly down on the bed, staring at the elf, who continued. "When Miss is a baby, Malfoy is secretly loaning Dobby to Mistress Bellatrix. To help look after you".

"Like a…" Eve struggled for words. "Like a nanny?" She struggled to picture the tiny elf managing the weight of a human baby.

Dobby nodded. "It is common for old wizarding families. When Mistress Bellatrix is arrested, Dobby is supposed to bring you to your aunt and uncle".

"Supposed to?" A realisation hit her. "You brought me to my Mum and Dad, I mean, my muggle parents, you-"

"I is disobeying". He shuddered. "Dobby is being punished most horribly for it. I is leaving you on the doorstep. Then Master Malfoy is being arrested, and he isn't able to report you missing without revealing he is knowing where Mistress Bellatrix is hiding. The Ministry is finding you later and letting the muggles keep you. I is sorry Miss" he added, seeing her face. "I is wanting to tell you, I is knowing you is looking for answers, but I is forbidden". He looked anxious, as though expecting her to get angry.

Eve's head was filled with water. She gripped the edge of her bed, trying to steady herself. Things began to click into place. "You looked after me when I was a baby" she said finally. "You've been trying to help me".

The elf nodded his head earnestly.

"I…" her voice trailed off and she clenched her fists. "Did Malfoy kill my parents?"

Dobby looked pained. "Yes" he said slowly. "I- I is unable to stop him or warn you, I-" His breathing got faster. "Malfoy is also". He gulped. Then suddenly, without warning, he crashed his fist into his own head.

Eve yelped in alarm and grabbed his arm to stop him doing it again. "Stop, what are you-?"

"Dobby still isn't used to disobeying orders" he gasped, eyes watering. Eve's stomach lurched. Were house elves forced to hurt themselves if they disobeyed? It dawned on her that some of the bruises and cuts on his face were self-inflicted.

"Have you been punishing yourself every time you helped me?" she asked in horror, kneeling on the floor next to him. Every book, every hot chocolate, even the time he'd saved her life…

Dobby trembled. "I is sorry Miss, I can't stay here long. I is still getting used to freedom". His arm shook in her hand. The longer he stayed the more he was disobeying his old master's orders.

"But-" Eve still had so many questions.

The elf clutched his shaking arm. "I must leave for now, Miss".

She couldn't ask him to hurt himself. Eve swallowed and nodded and Dobby took a relieved step backwards. Eve watched helplessly, thinking she should say something, do something-

"Wait!" Eve hurried to her chest of drawers and rummaged quickly, grabbing a random sock. "Here – you can't go around with just one" she said, pressing it into his hand. "Thank you for- for everything".

It wasn't much, but the elf broke into a toothy grin. He accepted the sock as though it were an invaluable treasure. "Thank you Miss Eve!" he exclaimed breathlessly. He pulled it onto his other foot. As he turned to go he hesitated, and Eve caught his arm flinch again.

"Malfoy is also giving Miss Weasley the diary" he said quickly in one breath, and he vanished with another CRACK before Eve could say anything.

* * *

_**December 1981**_

_"Let's see her" Tariq said._

_Meenah carefully handed the baby over, and watched as her little brother cradled the baby's dark curly head delicately in his arms. His face softened as he held his new niece, and Meenah felt a warm glow in her chest at the sight. "She's so small" he breathed with a little laugh. "How old is she?"_

_"9 months". She was glad Evie hadn't started walking yet when they got her, they didn't want to miss that._

_"You know, I think she takes more after her dad" Tariq joked._

_"Ha-ha" Meenah said drily. "Give her back"._

_Tariq stood up and gently placed the sleeping baby back in her arms. Her tiny head rolled peacefully to rest against Meenah's chest._

_"Where is Curly anyway?" Tariq asked with a grin, flopping back down on the shabby armchair. It was an old one they'd borrowed from Amira – her husband Umar had helped Chrissie shift it from next door._

_"Gone to get nappies for Evie" Meenah said. They were going through them faster than expected. "He's stopping at the chippy too, there'll be enough for the three of us"._

_The grin fell from her little brother's face and Tariq shook his head. "I should get going"._

_"Don't be a prat, you're going nowhere. Stay" Meenah ordered him sternly. "You can get your train in the morning"._

_She nodded approvingly as Tariq relented, sitting down again. Meenah watched her brother for a bit. Even with the shadow of a stubble on his chin, he still had a baby face._

_"How was it?" she asked him carefully._

_Tariq grimaced. "Ammi did most of the shouting, of course" he said sadly. "Abba… he just stood there, quiet. I couldn't read his face"._

_"Abba will come around". Meenah tried to reassure him. "He- he came to see Chrissie and the baby last week". She paused, and added hopefully. "You don't have to go to London you know? You can stay here long as you need-"_

_"I think I need some time away". Tariq sighed and forced a grin. "Have a whirlwind London romance, you know? I won't stay away" he added. "You're not getting rid of me that easy"._

_"More's the pity. I'll set up a bed for you in Evie's room. There's a spare mattress in the cupboard upstairs. It's a bit thin" she apologised. "But we can use the couch cushions-"_

_"I'll get it" Tariq said, standing up. As he passed behind her he knelt down and gave her a hug from behind. "Thanks sis. I love you" he mumbled gratefully into her ear._

_"I love you too prat"_

_"Ah! There's Meenah the Meanie!"_

_Tariq ruffled her head playfully and went upstairs. As his footsteps creaked on the steps Meenah cradled the baby. When she arrived Eve had cried a lot for the first few days – she was a very restless baby. But once she was able to tear around the house on all fours she'd cheered up immensely. After a long day of exploring she was now flat out. Meenah doubted an earthquake would have woken her._

_Meenah leaned over, carefully running her fingers through the mop of tiny curls on her head. Her hair could have easily come from Chrissie. They'd both been heartbroken when the doctor revealed Meenah couldn't have children, but Meenah could have sworn a secret part of Chrissie was relieved. He had been so worried about being a dad, and had taken a lot of reassuring before he agreed to adopt._

_The baby stirred slightly, scrunching up her tiny face. She then settled and relaxed, curling into Meenah's arms._

_"Hey Evie" Meenah whispered._

_It had been through a dream-like haze that Eve had entered their lives. They could barely even remember the blur that had been the adoption process. Not that she was complaining, but Meenah could have sworn things were supposed to be a lot more complicated and drawn-out. Child services had come by a fortnight ago to check on how they were managing, muttering something about the mother being dead, with no father in the picture. No other relatives to take the child, they said._

_"You're a bit like me and Chrissie" Meenah said sadly. "Chrissie doesn't have a mummy and daddy anymore. And me and Tariq, well, our Ammi doesn't want us anymore either. We might have Abba again though, one day"._

_Her voice was almost as quiet as the baby's breathing. Moving carefully so as not to disturb her, Meenah hooked her pinky finger into Eve's hand, marvelling at how tiny it was. Eve's hand slowly clenched around her finger in her sleep._

_She remembered the day she left home, the day she stopped calling it home. Stood in this house, even with Chrissie by her side, she'd felt so weightless. Like she was in danger of slipping away, drifting into the atmosphere. But the day Abba came to see her, after she'd feared they'd never be the same with each other again, she felt herself drifting back. She could see the strings being drawn in the near future. Maybe never her mother, maybe never Chrissie's family. But her father, her brother, her friend, her husband, their baby. Pulling together and stitching into something new._

_Meenah grinned at the sight of Chrissie's curly head rushing past the window, and listened as his keys jammed clumsily into the door. He didn't want to miss a second of it._

* * *

"Eve?"

Ginny was stood at the door to their dorm. She hung back, wringing her hands nervously.

"Ginny!"

Before Ginny could say anything Eve ran over and caught her in a hug. Taken aback at first, Ginny returned the hug and started to cry.

"I'm sorry!" Ginny sobbed. "I almost attacked you, the basilisk could have killed you!"

"It's not your fault!" Eve insisted. "I'm just so glad you're ok!" Ginny was still very pale, though thankfully not as close to death as she'd looked in the Chamber of Secrets. She was trembling, holding herself tightly as though trying to keep herself from spilling apart.

"I was so stupid" she whispered. "I should have realised sooner about the diary. I should have gone to Dad the second Riddle started writing back. I didn't mean all the things I said. Riddle – You-Know-Who – he was in my head, I started thinking all sorts of horrible things…"

Ginny lowered her head and looked down at her feet, shaking her head shamefully.

"He said you secretly didn't like me. That you were away with Vicky and Demelza making fun of me- it was so _stupid_ of me-"

"It's alright Ginny" Eve put her arm reassuringly around Ginny's shoulder and gently steered her to the perch by the window. They sat down together. Outside people were still enjoying the summer evening, but were starting to head inside to eat as the sun sank lower in the sky. "I shouldn't have kept things from you" Eve apologised. "And I- I should have realised that something was wrong, that you weren't just ill".

Ginny started at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Eve swiftly got up and marched across the dorm, shutting the door in the face of a protesting Vicky and Demelza.

"Hey!"

"Clear out" Eve said brusquely, placing one hand firmly on the door. Spotting a nearby chest she stretched out her leg to hook it with her foot and pull it towards her, sending the laundry and discarded potions kit strewn on top of it sprawling to the floor.

"What are you doing?" Vicky asked indignantly, pushing a crack in the barricaded door and glaring at Eve.

"Fuck off, give us some privacy" Eve said, glancing back at an anxious Ginny.

"For the love of Merlin" Vicky rolled her eyes. "Look, is Ginny alright?"

Eve raised her eyebrows at Vicky in surprise. Behind her Demelza was being unusually quiet, eyeing the door guiltily.

"She'll be fine" Eve said. "We'll come down to the Great Hall later, just leave us alone for now".

She shut the door and secured the chest next to it, listening until their footsteps disappeared down the staircase. Ginny sighed in relief and smiled gratefully. Eve gave her a weak smile back, her stomach bubbling nervously. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell anyone yet about the Lestranges. Ginny probably wouldn't react badly, but Eve felt the last thing Ginny needed to hear just after being possessed by Voldemort was that her friend was the daughter of one of Voldemort's followers. Moreover, the realisation that the pale boy in the photograph with her grandfather was wizard Hitler had left her feeling ill. McKinnons Act or not, Eve wasn't sure she wanted anyone to know at all.

But that didn't mean there weren't some things she could tell Ginny.

Eve steeled herself. "I was trying to find out about the people who killed my parents" she confessed. "I was looking for answers in the library". For the first time she told Ginny the story of the night her parents were murdered, how masked wizards had broken into their home and killed them in a flash of green light. Ginny listened in shock until she had finished, sat by her side by the window. Behind them the setting sun lit the sky orange, casting long shadows across the evening grounds, now emptied of students.

"You were having nightmares about it" Ginny said softly, realisation dawning on her face. "Eve, I'm so sorry…"

"I found out who did it" Eve said, her voice shaking in anger. "It was Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father. And Malfoy was the one who gave you the diary too. Everything that happened with the Chamber of Secrets and with Riddle, it was all Malfoy. _He_ did this to you".

"Malfoy?" Ginny's eyes widened. "How do you know?"

"I- I saw him in the Entrance Hall. His old house elf was there – Harry had just freed him – he told me-" It was a half-truth, but she couldn't tell Ginny that Dobby had been in their dorm without raising further questions. "I recognised his eyes too. I know that's not enough to prove it but-" If only she'd ripped the mask off and seen his face. If Dobby wasn't able to come back, all she had to go on right now was the eyes.

"Malfoy had my Lockhart book in Flourish and Blotts…" Ginny said to herself distantly. "That's where I found the diary…"

She trembled and clenched her fists. "I need to tell Dad" she said slowly, more to herself than to Eve. "He's just left, but maybe there's something he can do…"

"Charity will help" Eve said firmly. "And McGonagall. I know they will".

Ginny hugged herself, chewing her lip. She sighed shakily. "I don't think I feel like going to the Great Hall".

"Me neither" Eve agreed. For now at least, she had no appetite.

"But I don't want to stay in here either" Ginny said, closing her eyes tightly. "I don't want to think about it. I just want to forget everything that happened for a bit".

Eve nodded. She figured if she wasn't ready to talk about the Lestranges, then Ginny definitely wouldn't feel ready to talk about being possessed by Riddle. Not for a long time.

"What should we do then?" Eve asked. They sat thinking in silence for a moment. A warm golden light filtered into the dorm behind them, before the sinking sun finally dipped beneath the trees.

Ginny's eyes fell on the potions kit by the barricaded door. Eve caught a faint sly grin on her face. "I have a brilliant idea" she said.

Twenty minutes later they stood over the stairway overlooking the Entrance Hall, a water balloon in each hand. They'd nicked them from Fred and George's trunk and filled them with frog spawn from their potions kits.

Ginny nudged Eve with her elbow. "No more secrets in future?" she said, as students started to trail out of the Great Hall.

Eve hesitated for a moment and nodded. Careful not to drop the water balloon she held out her little finger. "Yeah. Pinky promise".

"Pinky what?"

"It's er, a muggle thing. Bit babyish really, it was my mum's thing…"

"Pinky promise then" Ginny held up her little finger, uncertain what to do with it, and giggled as Eve hooked it in hers.

They discretely tucked the balloons in their hands away from sight as Filch passed by, whistling in an alien burst of elation with a newly revived Mrs Norris by his side. Eve wondered if he was heading to see Pince in the library. Once they were in the clear they resumed looking over the side, spotting Neville coming up the stairs and beckoning to him.

"Neville!" Eve called in a whisper. "Has Malfoy left yet?"

Neville gave a confused frown. "Er, no, he's still eating". He paused as he approached them, seeing the balloons. "Are those-?"

Eve and Ginny caught each other's eye and grinned. "Want to join in?" Eve offered, holding out a balloon.

"Yes please!"

Neville eagerly accepted the water balloon. Glancing around hesitantly for any sign of an oncoming teacher he hurried to stand next to Eve and Ginny. Together they stood and watched, waiting for Malfoy's blond head to leave the Great Hall.

_First my cousin_ Eve thought grimly to herself. _Then my uncle._

* * *

**And that is the end of Chamber of Secrets! Sorry for the delay in posting, I'd been trying to keep updates regular but shit got busy. Thank you all so much for reading! This is my first ever fic and the longest thing I've ever written, been so nervous posting it so thank you people who left reviews you encouraged me so much to keep going! Prisoner of Azkaban is planned out, but it may be a while before it starts getting posted (may have chapter 10 out for christmas though). Together Chamber and Azkaban are planned as Part 1 in a 3 part series of Eve's time at Hogwarts, and I hope I'll see it through to the end! To anyone else willing to stick with this fic, I promise I won't leave any loose threads hanging.**

**Also any feedback greatly appreciated. My sister tells me Eve swears too much.**


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